Sins Of The Past
by Nirvana19
Summary: AU. Sequel to 'Here's To Second Chances'. Bo and Lauren, now happily married; have their vacation cut short when they receive a distress call from their kids. Only to find that things are about to get a lot worse. The Past really can come back to haunt you.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here it is. The sequel to Here's To Second Chances. Thirteen brand spanking new chapters that I hope you'll all love. Enjoy.**

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 **Chapter** **1:** **There Will Be Death**

 **Dennis Household** **\- 2039**

Out of all the ways things could've gone, Bo never imagined things would turn out quite like this. It had been a while since she and Lauren had been in the city. Two months, to be exact. With their children all grown up and living their own lives, they thought it best to live what was left of their own.

Of course, they didn't look like they were pushing the age of fifty. Thanks to their ageless genes.

They kept in touch with their children regularly, all five of them. Things had changed dramatically, when it came to forging a new future. Very different from the one Shay and Ethan tried to save all those years ago. Without the threat of her Father looming over their heads, Bo and Lauren completely settled down. And they decided to have kids first, and then live their lives.

Besides, they wanted Shay and Ethan to grown up with more siblings. Not long after Shay turned two, they welcomed another daughter, Charlie. After her, came Patrick, and to end the cycle, came their youngest; Bella.

They had everything they wanted.

But their lives were far from normal. And there was always something lurking around the corner, only; for once, it was done without Bo or Lauren anywhere near the city. Whether they weren't around was no matter. What came next was still a consequence of Bo's past actions.

She did the crime, and now her kids were paying for it.

She and Lauren didn't realise how bad it really was, until they got home. After getting a panicked call from their youngest, Bella; Bo and Lauren cut their retirement trip short and high-tailed it back home to help. Only, when they got through the door; they saw that they were too late.

"No" Bo let out a devastated breath.

Lauren's hands covered her mouth, as she was in utter shock over what she saw. The house had been destroyed, windows broken, doors hanging off their hinges, and their once priceless family heirlooms, shattered. But that wasn't the sight that broken her heart.

It was the sight of four of her children, laying dead on the floor. Two of which, Ethan and Shay; who were meant to be immortal.

"No!" She ran to Ethan, kneeling beside him and seeing his pale complexion.

He was almost as white as a ghost. She also noticed the stab wound he had through his chest, and as she glanced at Shay, Patrick and Charlie; she saw they had the same wounds. That can't have been a coincidence. "My little boy!" She cried, touching his face.

Bo was in the same condition as her Wife. She checked her other three children, they had no pulses. They were dead. Then she realised someone was missing. "Bella?!" She ran to the bottom of the stairs, "Bella?!" She kept shouting, ready to run upstairs.

But suddenly, Bella appeared out of nowhere. "Right here"

Since a young age, Bella developed a keen potential for Sorcery. When it became clear that their children would inherit different abilities from members of Trick's family line, he gifted Bo with a family tree and knowledge of everyone on it and their abilities.

He told Bo and Lauren that his great Grandfather was a powerful Sorcerer. Which's who Bella took after.

Charlie took after him with her Blood Sage ability, and Patrick inherited the ability to absorb the powers from any Fae he came in contact with. But they only lasted a short while. Trick wasn't sure who he took after, but it was a nifty power to have. Shay and Ethan, took after Bo.

And we're the only two of their children that had the immortal gene. Lauren could never figure out why it was only them two who had it.

But on the bright side, her other three children were stronger than any normal Fae, and they could still heal themselves and compel people like Shay and Ethan. So, it wasn't all bad. But it didn't look like those traits were much help today.

As soon as Bella appeared, Bo grabbed her and hugged her tight. "Thank god, you're okay!" She didn't think she could bare losing _all_ her children in one day. Although, four out of five was still awful. "Bella, what happened here? Who did this?" She wanted to know, so she could kill them.

Lauren got up too, going straight for her little girl. Who completely ignored Bo's questions and began crying into her Mother's shoulder. "It's okay baby, I'm right here…" she tried to fight her own tears, kissing her daughter's head. "… Bella, we need to know what happened. Can you tell us?"

Bella nodded, pulling back and wiping her tears. She couldn't bring herself to look at the dead bodies of her siblings. "This'd been coming for a while now…" she went to sit on the couch in the living room, dropping down with a sigh. "… We wanted to deal with it ourselves. To show you we could handle things. We didn't wanna ruin your trip"

"Forget about that for now, just tell us what happened" Bo sat beside her. She didn't care about their stupid trip, in fact she wished they never went. They'd been gone two months, and look what happened.

"It all started a month ago…" Bella said. "… We were going about our days like usual, but then we started getting messages. Threats. Ethan said they were nothing to worry about, that it was just some sad Fae who had a problem with us being Hybrids. He said he'd seen it before when he was a kid. But, then things got worse"

Lauren kept hold of her daughter's hand. "How?"

Bella started remembering everything that'd happened in the last two months. It upset her so easily, unlike the rest of her siblings she was emotional. Sometimes too emotional. "We had a couple break ins, an ambush here and there, and a group of guys followed Patrick home one night. He gave as good of a fight as he could but, there were too many of them. Ethan got home just in time though"

Bo found this all very fascinating, but it wasn't what she wanted to hear. "Who was behind the attacks and threats?" She had to know.

"His name's Ronan; he said you knew his Mom…" Bella looked at Bo. "… Someone named Zee?" She saw the look on her Mother's face, and it didn't inspire much confidence. "Who is she?" She had a right to know, since her siblings were killed because of it.

Lauren turned her head away, she knew this would come back to bite them on the ass. She told Bo this day would come. All because of a foolish mistake they'd made almost two decades ago. "Tell her Bo. If ever there was a time to, it's now"

Sighing, Bo agreed with her. "Zee, is my Aunt on my Father's side. Also known as Zeus, as in the Greek God. Before you were born, I had a run in with her. She and her Husband, Hera; came to earth to claim it for themselves. They took human forms, but still kept their abilities. They were tough to beat" she remembered it like it was yesterday.

"But you _did_ beat them though, right?" Bella figured that's where she was going with this.

But it wasn't that simple. "I killed her Husband, Hera. And I came close to killing her too, but something happened. Something unexpected" Bo went on to tell her daughter of how when it came time to end Zee's life, she couldn't.

Because Zee revealed she was pregnant with Hera's child, and as much as Bo wanted her gone; she wasn't a child killer. She could never kill an unborn baby.

She was a Mother after all. It just wasn't who she was. So, she made a deal with Zee and bound it in blood. Which was a serious thing in their culture. The deal stated that Zee could never return to this city, and also never seek to claim the earth for herself. Zee happily accepted the deal if it meant letting her child live.

Only now, that child had grown up. And he was hell bent on destroying her family. But surely, that breached the terms of their deal. And if so, Zee would pay for those consequences. But that still didn't explain, how this Ronan guy was able to kill _four_ strong Hybrids.

Which led Lauren to her next question. "How did it happen? How did he kill them?" She hated saying it, but she had to know.

Bella couldn't forget it. "Ethan was the first to face him. He bragged about having a weapon that could kill us, for good. Even Ethan and Shay. We just thought he was bluffing. But he wasn't. Over the last couple of weeks, the attacks got closer together. Until, he showed up here this morning, with his weapon" she got lost in a daze, memories flooding back to her.

"What kind of weapon was it?" Bo asked.

"A dagger…" Bella answered. "… Made of some kind of black metal, and it had engravings all along the blade. I watched him stab Ethan. It was like it sucked the life right outta him. The markings on the blade shined red, and when he removed it; Ethan fell, and he was just gone. I waited for him to come back, like always; but he never did" she got upset again.

Lauren wrapped both arms around her, feeling the pain. She felt like someone had taken pieces of her heart. Someone had killed her babies. "Then he went for the others?" She guessed what came next, and Bella just nodded. "What kind of dagger can kill an immortal like Ethan, or Shay for that matter?" She looked at Bo.

Bo just shrugged, "I dunno. But we're gonna find out, and we're gonna bring them back!" She wasn't letting her children stay dead. No way in hell was that happening.

But unfortunately, Bella had already been down that road. "I already tried to revive them with my magic…" she lifted her head from her Mother's arms. "… I tried every resurrection spell I know. Nothing worked. I'm sorry Mom!" She cried again.

Not wanting her to feel guilty, Bo pulled her close. "Don't be sorry baby!" She hugged her tight. "No one blames you for this. Okay? _No one_. We're just glad we didn't lose you too" she would've been devastated if all her children had been taken from her.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming to the front door. Bo got up, grabbing a sword she had mounted on the wall. They were swords she felt too special to use, but right now anything was fair game. She walked to the front door, seeing who opened it. "Sasha…" she couldn't let her see Shay like this. "… Now's not a good time" she tried to stop her from entering but Sasha wasn't one to relent.

"I had to come, I could sense something was wrong so I flew right over. Look, I just need to know if Shay's okay—" Sasha saw passed Bo, and over her shoulder to the gruesome sight before her. And more importantly, her Girlfriend laying a few feet away. "What happened?" She ran to where Shay laid. "No! Shay? Babe, please wake up!" She tried to shake her, but it was no use.

So she cried, and cried, and then cried some more.

Bo decided to step in, "Sasha?" She tried to pull her away but she was proving to be quite stubborn. "Sweetie, she's gone. There's nothing you can do. Please, get up..." she pulled her arm gently, until Sasha fell into her arms, crying loudly. Her heart had just been broken. "… I know it hurts, believe me. But we're gonna fix it" she whispered to her.

Not wanting Bo to say anymore, Lauren got up from the couch with Bella. "Bella, why don't you take Sasha over to the Dal? It's safe there. Your Mom and I need to take care of things here. We'll be over soon" she kissed her daughter's head, watching her leave with a distraught Sasha.

Placing her hands on her hips, Bo looked at the four dead bodies of her children. And in that moment, she broke. Whatever strength she had to keep it together, had faded away. She fell to her knees. "Oh my god, this's all my fault…" she sobbed, her face in her hands. "… He took my babies" she couldn't stop crying.

Lauren knelt beside her, holding her close. "Shhh!" She rocked back and forth with Bo in her arms. It always helped. "It's okay. We're gonna bring them back, like you said. However long it takes doesn't matter. We're not giving up. Okay?" She looked at her, giving her a reassuring kiss.

"I'm so sorry" Bo still felt the full weight of this. She trusted that Zee would honour their deal. In her defence, no one ever went against a blood oath. It was just the way things worked around here.

"I know you are…" Lauren wanted to say she didn't blame her, but the tiniest part of herself did. The part that told Bo to banish Zee back to Myth, where she could've lived out the rest of her immortal life. Miserable or not, she would've kept her life and had her child like she wanted. But Bo didn't listen, instead she made that deal.

And look where it had gotten them.

"… But, apologies are gonna have to wait. Because the more time we waste, the less we have to recover their souls from limbo before they pass on. We gotta do this now Bo. So, are you with me?" She needed her on her a-game.

And if that meant she had to buck up, then Bo was ready. "I'm with you. All the way. Let's bring our kids back" she and Lauren both the bodies prepared for transportation.

They had to get their bodies to the Dal. Trick would be able to help them with this, they'd bet good money on it. The only problem was, how were they going to move four bodies? They were going to need something a lot bigger than Bo's Camaro.

 **The Dal** **–** **Later**

When she got to the Dal, Bella told her Grandfather everything that happened. And as soon as she did, he broke down crying. Which then set her off again. Sasha wasn't speaking to anyone, she was still in too much shock over the loss of her love. Dyson and Tamsin arrived after Trick called them and gave them the news. They had to be there for their daughter.

As soon as she saw her Father, Sasha jumped into his arms. Crying. "I don't understand how this happened. No one's ever been able to kill a Hybrid" he was always envious of Bo and Lauren's children, in the fact that they were very durable. He wished his Daughter had that kind of power, then he wouldn't have to worry about her so much. But this was still a tragedy.

"Things change…" Bo and Lauren entered the bar, their eyes still red and puffy from crying. They were never going to get over this. They'd lost four children. But they weren't giving up hope that they wouldn't be able to bring them back. "… Dyson, can I ask you for a favour?" She looked at him.

Dyson nodded, "Anything…" she asked him if he'd help her bring the bodies into the bar, she couldn't do it by herself and Lauren couldn't bring herself to do it again. She just wanted to be with Bella and not let her out of her sight. "… Of course Bo. Anything I can do to help" he tapped her arm and followed her outside.

Lauren walked to the bar, hugging her youngest again. She just didn't want to let her go. But as she was doing that, she saw Trick's distraught face. She held his hand with her free one, silently telling him that she knew how he felt. He offered her a shot of his strongest stuff, she wasn't going to ask what it was; she just knocked it back.

And even though, Bella was three years under the legal drinking age; Lauren was going to forget that today. Everyone could use a stiff drink. When the shot was placed in front of her, Bella even reminded her Mother that she was underage. She was the most sensible out of all her children. "You're eighteen; that's close enough. Drink it, it'll help" she told her.

Bella knocked it back, feeling the unbearable burn in her throat. She coughed a few times, but it soon passed. She couldn't say she cared for that. "Eww" she cleared her throat.

Tamsin had to shield her daughter from seeing the sight of Shay's body being brought into the bar. It wasn't good for her. But Sasha didn't want to hide away. And as soon as her Father laid Shay's body down on an empty table, she moved to her side. Holding her cold hand.

With the rest of her Children's bodies laid on the other three empty tables, Bo went to the bar and grabbed the bottle Trick was using to pour shots. She took a large swig, and another, and then another to round it off. She needed it. "We need to know what kind of weapon that bastard used, and how the hell it's powerful enough to kill a Hybrid!"

"Bella, you have to walk us through what happened" Lauren looked at her daughter.

But Bella just shook her head, "I can't Mom! Please, don't make me!" She didn't want to relive it again, it was too horrible.

Trick had an idea. "If you can't talk about it, then maybe we can look into your mind and see what needs to be seen. With your magic, you can allow someone to see your most recent memories"

The only problem with that plan was, Bella was still trying to control her powers. She couldn't always do the things she wanted. It was hard. It wasn't something she could talk to anyone about since they weren't like her. "I don't know how to do something like that"

"I can walk you through it, I have a book in the lair that can guide us. Come with me" Trick began to walk to the end of the bar, waiting for Bo, Lauren and Bella to follow.

Once they were down in the lair, Bella took a seat on the couch with her Parents on either side of her. She didn't know if she was ready to do this, but her Mother needed to see what happened.

"So, do I have to hold her hand or something?" Bo wondered, magic wasn't her thing. Chi sucking, that was her thing. Not that it came in handy this time.

Trick got the book he spoke about, flipping through the pages. He knew all about Sorcery and magic, he just didn't have any to use. "Yes, you and Bella will join both hands, as she finds the power to let you into her mind" he continued reading the book.

Lauren wasn't going to be the one to watch, she didn't want to see her kids get murdered. Seeing them dead was bad enough. But one of them had to do it. "Sounds like a lot of work on Bella's part. Are you sure this's safe for her?" She wanted to be sure.

"It's completely safe, she may feel a little tired after the transfer but it's only because this's her first time doing it. With time, it'll become second nature. She'll be fine Lauren" he assured her.

Hearing that made Bo feel better too. She wanted to see what happened, but she didn't want to hurt Bella in the process. "Okay, shall we?" She held both hands out for her daughter to take.

Bella held them, then listened to what her Grandfather told her to do. She closed her eyes, focusing on what happened. Her freshest memory, and most awful. She felt the power within her stir, until finally she took a sharp intake of breath, as did her Mother.

Both of them fell silent.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Lauren didn't know either way.

Trick nodded, "Yes. It's working. Now we wait" he and Lauren waited quietly, not wanting to disrupt the ritual.

 **Bella's Mind**

 _Bo opened her eyes, seeing herself in her house. Everything looked normal, nothing was destroyed like before. Suddenly, she heard a crash come from outside. Before she could even run to the window, Ethan ran downstairs and beat her to it. She couldn't help but smile, he was alive here._

 _She tried to prepare herself for what she was about to see._

" _Assholes! They're wrecking our cars!" He was so angry, but not as angry as Shay was going to be when she saw what they'd done to her precious vehicle. "That's it, someone's gonna die today!" He went for the first weapon he could find._

" _E?" Shay came downstairs with Patrick, Charlie and Bella following closely behind. "What's happening?" She looked out the window. "Son of a bitch, that's my car!" No one touched her baby. "Please tell me I get to slit someone's throat" she looked at her brother._

 _He laughed, "Oh, we will slit_ many _throats. Everyone arm up, looks like we're about to have company. I expect Ronan to show up with his super-secret weapon, any second" he didn't believe a word that leech said._

 _But Bella wasn't so sure, "What if he does have a weapon?" Her four siblings turned to her. "I mean, he wouldn't be bragging if he couldn't live up to it, right?" It didn't make sense to her._

 _Patrick stood beside her, "Bella, you're new at this. You've still got a lot to learn. People like Ronan, exaggerate. They like to make people think they've got what it takes. Like how Aunt Kenzi bluffs in Poker. He's all talk" he didn't buy it._

" _But what if he's not? What if he's telling the truth?" Bella tried to get through to them._

 _And Bo could see that, but her older siblings were so stubborn, they weren't listening to her. She couldn't help but take the blame for that. Lauren was stubborn, but when it came down to thinking clearly, she always took everything logical into account. Like Bella was doing. Bo herself, was stubborn at her core, she didn't think she just acted. They took after her with that._

 _Shay grabbed her favourite knifes and placed them in the back of her jeans. "Even if he does have a cool new weapon; we can't be killed. You worry too much Bell" she wasn't worried._

" _Someone's got to" Bella replied._

 _And it was in that moment that Ethan realised maybe his littlest sister wasn't ready for this kind of exchange. That, and ever since Bella was born, he'd developed a strong bond with her. So much so that he didn't want her to be here for this._

" _Bella? Come here for a second?" He waved her over. "I know you worry, that's the Doctor part of Mom in you…" he chucked, thinking of his Mother. "… And it's because of that worry, that I want you to sit this out"_

 _Bella shook her head, she didn't mean to be a pain. "But what if you need me; or my magic?" She may not know everything about it yet, but she could throw someone across the room with the wave of a hand. That came in handy, right?_

" _We'll manage without it. Right now, I just want you to be safe. So, do that invisible trick you do; and stay hidden. Don't come out for anything. I mean it, okay? Nothing" he made it clear to her._

" _Alright" she said._

 _He knew her too well though. "Promise me" he held out his pinky finger, this was their thing._

 _She wrapped her smaller pinky around his bigger one and held it tight. "Promise" she welcomed a hug from him, then hugged the rest of her siblings wishing them luck. Within a second, she vanished._

 _Bo was grateful that Ethan remained the caring big Brother and told her to hide. He knew she wasn't ready, and Bo would've done the same thing if it was her fight. Ethan was so noble._

 _Charlie decided to take a precaution and write something in her blood. That she and Patrick would be protected from death by Ethan and Shay's resurrection ability. She could never write herself to become immortal, for some reason it didn't work. Trick always said if something she wrote never came true, it was because it wasn't meant to be._

 _She took it with a pinch of salt. Especially when she tried to write Ronan out of existence and that didn't work either. Was he meant to live? Or was he protected by something? "You think we'll finally put Ronan down today?" She asked her big sister._

 _Shay was sure as hell going to try, "Trust me, by the end of the day; he'll be forgotten. There's a reason why people are scared of us. We're Hybrids; nothing and no one, can hurt us. Ronan seems to have missed that memo, so; I say we make it clear to him" she was going to enjoy this._

" _I still think we should've called Mom…" Patrick said. "… If we do this and she and Mom come back to a ruined house; we're gonna wish we_ could _die" he feared his Mother's wrath, she wasn't someone he wanted to piss off._

 _Ethan shook his head, "Why worry them when we can just take care of the problem ourselves?" He grabbed his serrated bayonet. One of his favourite knifes. "Trust me, there's no need to bother them. They spent their whole lives protecting us; I think they deserve time off"_

 _Bo wanted to cry as she listened, he didn't want to call her and Lauren because he was trying not to spoil their trip. But really, Bo would drop anything to come to her kids' aid. First and foremost, she was a Parent. Nothing could've stopped her from being here. She watched the front door get kicked down, and dozens of men dressed in black flooded through._

 _Her kids fought hard to protect themselves. But ultimately, there were too many of them. Then she saw a sight that broke her._

 _Ethan tore through three men, before he saw his target. "Nice of you to finally show, Ronan!" He stood before his tall, Raven haired enemy. "You know, I'd love to see this special weapon you've been raving about. Or, did you come up short? Like all liars do?"_

 _Ronan smirked, "Lying?" He frowned at him, then reached into the back of his belt. "Am I lying now?" He revealed a jet-black blade, with sleek engravings along the metal. "Ethan, meet your end" he held it up proudly._

" _A knife?" Ethan started laughing, "You do realise I'm immortal, right? Or is that fact lost on you? Are you a little slow? Because that would make a lotta sense right now. Look dude, you can stab me with your little butter knife until your heart's content; but it won't kill me. I_ cannot _be killed, by anything!"_

 _Waving the black knife around, Ronan smiled. "So what've you got to lose? Why don't we test the theory?" He waited for Ethan to come for him, and he didn't disappoint._

 _Bo had never seen that blade before, but it looked ancient. Like, God; ancient. She watched Ethan lunge at him, hitting him in the face repeatedly. They rolled around on the floor, and Ethan was winning. For a while, but that changed. When Ronan laid a hand on Ethan's chest, and emitted an electrical shock from his hand._

 _It was lightening._

 _He was Zee's son after all. It made sense he would inherit her powers. Ethan rolled away, recovering from the shock. It didn't kill him. But she could see it hurt him. And just as he was getting up to fight with Ronan once more, Ronan drove the mysterious dagger into his chest. And like Bella told her, the engravings on the blade shined red._

 _Ethan had never felt a pain like this. Before, when he would get stabbed in the heart; it felt like a small sting. But this, was like someone burning his heart and then tearing it in two. He looked down, and the dagger was glowing. That was new. Then he looked back at Ronan, he was smiling wickedly._

" _Now who's slow?" He whispered to him, retracting his dagger. He gave Ethan's stomach a hard kick, throwing him to the floor._

 _Bo felt a tear escape her eyes. She just watched her son get murdered, and now she had to watch the rest of her children suffer the same fate._

" _ETHAN!" Shay had just put down one of Ronan's men when she saw her brother go down. "You bastard!" She ran, and was immediately hit with Ronan's lightening. But she wasn't letting it throw her, she fought through the pain and continued to taking steps towards him. "This won't save you from me!" She groaned, feeling the sting as she walked._

 _Ronan was impressed, she was fighting his attack. He held up his hand, going near her. And just as she got to him, he disappeared in a burst of lightening._

 _Shay breathed, he was gone. No, she had to kill him. Turning to her left, she saw her big brother laying on the floor. She took steps to reach him, but felt a sharp pain in her back. Looking down, she saw the tip of a black coloured blade poke through her chest. This felt different from the other times._

 _Almost like the life was being drained from her body. Her eyes fluttered, as she fell forward and laid next to her brother._

 _Laughing, Ronan took a minute to admire his weapon. "I should've got this thing ages ago!" He continued to laugh. "And then there were two!" He looked at Charlie and Patrick, who were currently being held by his men._

 _Bo looked away, not able to watch the rest. Her kids were dead, this lunatic killed them. She could see that he took after Zee in every way though. Once the battle was over, he searched the house for Bella, calling her name and turning the place upside down. But he didn't find her, because she was invisible thanks to her powers._

 _Since he couldn't find her, he decided to call it a day and leave. About twenty minutes passed before Bella reappeared, she knelt beside Ethan and began crying. She stayed there for a while, but when she heard footsteps coming from the front door, she cloaked herself again. That's when Bo saw herself and Lauren coming through the door._

 _She didn't need to remember this one. So she closed her eyes, and wished for Bella to stop the transfer._

 **Present**

Bella opened her eyes, letting go of her Mother's hands. The look on her face said it all. She didn't want to talk about it anymore. "I'm sorry I couldn't help them" she felt like she was a little bit to blame for this.

But Bo didn't, she shook her head. "Don't be. Ethan told you to stay hidden, and he was right. I would've said the same thing. He kept you safe, till the end. Don't be sorry, for anything. Okay?" She hugged her. This was proving to be a little difficult to recover from. Bo wanted to cry again, but she didn't want to start Lauren off.

"Did you see the weapon?" Lauren asked.

Bo nodded. "Yeah. Can't say I've ever seen a blade like it before. Like Bella said, it was black, and had ancient markings over it. To be honest, it looked pretty old. Ronan seemed so sure that it'd be enough to kill them. And, he wasn't wrong. He was so cocky about it" she hated that his face was burnt into her brain.

"Obviously gets that from Zee" Lauren remembered how much of a bitch Bo's Aunt was. She was obnoxious, cocky, and just generally evil.

"That's not the only thing he gets from her…" Bo told her, "… He also has her ability to create lightening. He used it on Ethan before he killed him, and on Shay too. We need to find out where he got that dagger from. Because if we find a way to bring them back, and it's powerful enough to kill them; what's to stop him murdering them all over again?"

She couldn't see it happen a second time.

Trick agreed. "I'm going to do some research, and ask around about the blade you described. If it's an ancient relic, then surely it must've been documented" he got up and went back to his bookshelf.

"Lauren? Why don't you take Bella upstairs? I need to talk to Trick for a minute…" Bo was going to ask him something, and she needed to do it alone. So, she kissed Lauren's cheek and waited for them both to leave. She approached Trick as he carried a few books back to his desk. "… Trick? I need to ask you for a favour" she leaned against his desk.

He listened while he skimmed through the different books. "Of course Bo, you know I'd do anything for you"

Bo was hoping he'd say that, "Good. Because I need you to write in your blood and bring my children back to life…" as soon as she said it, he stopped what he was doing and gave her a look. "… I know what you're gonna say, and I know every time you've written in your blood things haven't gone well for us. But, this's about our _family_. My children, _your_ grandchildren. They need you; _I_ need you" she was begging.

As much as Trick wanted to, there was a good reason why he never used his powers anymore. "Bo, I love those kids. Like they're my own. But, you know that every time I write in my blood, something comes to hurt us later. I can't risk that"

"So because you're scared, you're gonna let my children stay dead?!" Bo was hurt by his answer, and she started crying again. "You didn't see what Bella showed me Trick. The way they all died-" she couldn't finish. "I _cannot_ , let them stay that way. I have to save them. Please Trick; _please_ , help me save my kids" she'd never begged so much in her life.

And although the thought of whatever consequence came from this, Trick couldn't let his Grandchildren stay dead when he had the power to fix it. Maybe this Ronan character anticipated that he wouldn't want to use his blood. And if he was expecting that, then Trick had to do the opposite.

For the first time in years, he was going off base. To save his family. It seemed like a good deal right now. "Alright…" he watched Bo's face light up. And that's what this was about. "… Go upstairs, I'll get my things and meet you there" he welcomed a smothering hug from her, then watched her leave.

With the severity of this situation, Trick knew this wasn't going to be like the last time he wrote in his blood. His Grandchildren were powerful Hybrids. This was going to take a lot of power on his part. He went to his vault, and grabbed his Mage tools. Then made his way up to the bar.

It was time to bring the dead back.

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 **A/N: There it is. Hope you all liked it. Let me know what you thought.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, so I know the first chapter was über heavy. But it has to be that way for the story. But I'm glad you're all liking it. Here's the next one.**

 **P.S. What do you think the consequence for using Trick's blood will be? Because I can promise you, there is one! Haha!**

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 **Chapter** **2** **: Picking Up The Pieces**

 **The Dal**

When Trick finally joined them in the bar, he could see all eyes were on him. Rightfully so, since he was about to use his very _dangerous_ blood to bring back four Hybrids from the dead. But, this was his family.

And he wasn't losing them because of his own fears. That's probably what Ronan was counting on. He'd been here while Bo and Lauren had been on their trip around the world.

And from what he'd heard from his Grandkids in the weeks before, Ronan seemed to know a lot about them. Whether it was stuff he'd learned from Zee, or maybe things he'd found out for himself; he'd been prepared for this for a long time. But why? All for revenge? No, it didn't make sense.

Trick stood next to the table where Ethan laid, in a row; it was Ethan, Shay, Patrick, and then finally; Charlie. Four Hybrids, laid on four empty tables. He decided to use what little room was left on Ethan's table to begin his ritual.

He took his special knife, and cut a neat slice through his left palm, squeezing tight over a bowl and letting his blood fill it halfway.

Lauren was on hand just in case he gave too much. She wanted her kids back more than anything, but she didn't want Trick to die because of it. When Bo told her he'd agreed to help with this; she was skeptic. Knowing how much Trick hated using his blood. But she was ultimately glad he was.

Because it meant she'd have her children back soon.

He took his old quill, and dipped it in his blood. With his left hand still bleeding over the bowl, he wrote in his blood book with his right. In Fae runes, until his message was clear. The letters vanished, and he felt his power diminish slightly. Looking up, he saw no change in Ethan's colour, no movement, nothing.

"Damn it!" He sighed.

"What's wrong? Why isn't it working?" Bo approached him, checking her son's pulse. There was nothing there.

Trick wrapped his hand up with Lauren's help, but he already felt dizzy. "I was afraid of this…" he groaned, wiping the blood away. "… They're not normal Fae. They're too powerful for my blood to work. The power of one Blood Sage isn't enough to bring them back, I'm sorry Bo. I wanted this to work too" he really did.

Bo didn't understand. "But, you're the _Blood King_! How can you not have enough power?" She couldn't give up, this wasn't how it was supposed to end. "No! This can't be it" she bent down, kissing Ethan's head and breathing him in.

Suddenly, Charlie rose from her table gasping for air. She looked down, and her stab wound was healing. She remembered what happened. And how much it hurt, but as she looked around she could see her family weren't expecting her to be up. "What'd I miss?"

Lauren ran over to her, "Oh my god!" She brought her into a hug. "I can't believe it. You're okay!" She cried, happily. Even though three of her other kids were still dead. "I don't understand, I thought you said your power wasn't enough?" She turned back, asking Trick.

Who was just as flummoxed by the whole thing, but then he realised. "It could be because she shares my gift. Between the two of us, we might have enough power to bring the rest of them back" he wasn't sure, but he was willing to try.

"Are you okay with that?" Bo asked her, still happy her daughter was alive.

Charlie got the gist of what was going on, so she nodded. "Sign me up!" She hopped off the table, getting to her Grandfather's side. She took his knife and cut her palm, letting her blood pour into the bowl.

She was leaving it up to him to write while she held his injured hand with her free one. "All you Gramps" she winked at him.

Trick wrote in the blood again, hoping that the mixture of their blood would generate enough power to bring the rest of them back. They both felt a cold shiver run down their spine, it was working.

It took a couple of seconds for the letters to vanish this time around. But as soon as the last letter had disappeared, Ethan, Shay and Patrick all rose from their tables.

Bella ran to Ethan, while Lauren and Bo ran to Patrick, and Sasha ran to Shay. It was a happy moment for their little Clan. Only, it didn't last. Charlie smiled, looking at everyone reuniting. "We did it Gramps…" she turned to her right, but Trick wasn't there. "… Grandpa?" She turned around, seeing him passed out on the floor. "Oh my god!" She tried to wake him up, but nothing. "MOM!"

Bo and Lauren both heard her, but Lauren ran first. As she rounded the table, she saw Charlie trying to wake Trick up. The bandage she secured for him was bleeding through, that wasn't meant to happen. "Trick?" She tried to hear his heartbeat by putting an ear to his chest, it was there but faint.

"He's gonna be okay, right?" Bo came to stand next to her.

"I'm not sure…" Then Lauren thought of something. "… Charlie, your blood! Feed it to him, it should heal him!" She watched her do it, but Trick showed no change. "Shit!" She checked his pulse, it was barely there. "We gotta get him to my Clinic, now!" She called for Dyson, who with the help of Ethan and Patrick, carried Trick out to the car.

Bo felt awful, she begged him to do this. "I shouldn't have pushed him. This's all my fault" she started crying again.

But Lauren shook her head, "No, you did what you had to do to save your children. Trick made the decision to help, because he's a good man. Besides, there's no way I'm letting him die on us. I promise, I'm gonna do everything I can for him. We're not losing anyone else" she kissed her, then ran after the boys.

Charlie got up, wiping the blood off of her healed hand. "He's gonna pull through Mom. He's tough, just like us" she tapped her Mother's shoulder, not expecting the smothering hug that came next.

"I'm so glad you're back…" Bo turned to wave Shay and Patrick over, as well as Bella. "… All of you" they shared a group hug.

Family style.

When they broke apart, Bella still latched onto Shay. "Come on, you couldn't have missed me that much?" She laughed it off, tapping her back. But Bella just replied that she did, and that she was sorry she didn't help. "Hey? You _did_ help. You did what Ethan said. You stayed safe. I died happy knowing that" she hugged her again.

She loved all her siblings, but Bella deserved the extra attention. She was the baby of the group, but had an enormous power. That one day, would make her the most feared of them all.

"Promise me you won't die again" Bella said.

As much as Shay would love to promise that, in her life that wasn't always a guarantee. "I can promise I'll try, how's that sound?" She got an okay from her, then sent her off to their Mother. Just then, she felt arms encircle her waist from behind. "Don't tell me _you_ missed me too? I don't get it. Everyone always says I'm a pain in the ass!" She chuckled.

Sasha let go of her, walking around to face her. "You _are_ a pain!" She told her. " _But_ , you're a pain I can't live without. When I saw you laying there, I couldn't breathe. Since you're immortal, I never thought I'd have to worry about someone killing you for real. I wasn't prepared" she didn't want to cry again.

"No one can prepare for death…" Shay said. "… It happens when we least expect it. But you're right, I didn't think I'd have to worry about _dying_ for real either. To be honest it was a real bummer. I missed you too by the way. I'm sorry I scared you" she leaned in for a kiss.

"Just promise me you won't do it again" Sasha latched on for a hug. She didn't want it to end.

What was with everyone making her promise things? Shay kissed her head, "I can promise to _try_ " she whispered to her. She gave her the same answer as her sister. She couldn't guarantee not dying again, especially not with Ronan out there waving about a weapon that could kill her.

"I'll take it" Sasha replied, burying her head deeper into Shay's shoulder.

With her daughter now happy with her love, Tamsin tapped Bo's shoulder. "I'm happy things worked out for you Bo…" she got a smile and a thank you from her friend. "… But all things considered, I think we should do something about this Ronan guy before he starts causing trouble for other Fae"

Bo had been meaning to ask about that. "Did you know about him while Lauren and I were away?" She had to know. But Tamsin replied that this was the first she'd heard his name. She also expressed that if she had known, she and Dyson would've called them immediately. "I know you would've. Can't exactly scold them though. Right now, I'm just happy they're alive" that's all that mattered.

"I bet. I'm gonna go do some digging on Ronan, see what his story is. I know he's Zee and Hera's son, but there's gotta be something else to find. Like, why bother seeking revenge in the first place? You and Zee had a deal. I'm also gonna check if him going after your kids breaches that. If so, we might not have to worry about him for very long. The Elders will take care of it" Tamsin hoped they would, then their work was done.

"You do that. Call me if you find anything" Bo also promised to let her know what happens to Trick, once she got a call from Lauren.

Patrick came to stand by his Mother. "So, not that I don't love Grandpa's bar but, are we gonna be going home anytime soon? Cause', I'd really love to change my shirt. By the way, Ronan owes me for this! It's Calvin Klein!" He kept looking at the hole in his favourite t-shirt.

"Will you grow up!" Charlie frowned at him. "You _died_! And now Grandpa might die because he used all his power to bring _you_ back! Be a little more considerate, there's more to life than a stupid shirt!" She walked off to the bar, she needed a drink.

He just looked at his Mother, who shook her head. That was her way of saying don't bite back. It was pointless. So, he just went to the back room. He knew he'd left some clothes here before.

Shay approached her Mother from her left. "Tensions are running high, huh?" She'd never seen Charlie let out an outburst like that. But then again, she loved Trick. They all loved him, but given that they both shared the same ability; Trick and Charlie had a stronger connection, which was fine.

It just meant that she was feeling his pain more than anyone else. "Mom, about Ronan; I know we should've called you, but Ethan and I didn't think it was necessary"

Bo sighed, "I get why you didn't call me…" she thought back to when she was in Bella's mind. "… I know Ethan didn't want to bother your Mom and I while we were on our trip. But, you guys have to understand; you are our _children_. If you need us, we're there. It doesn't matter if we're a world away, if you sense danger; you call us. Okay?" She made it clear.

"Okay…" Shay nodded. "… I'm still sorry though. Any ideas about what we're gonna do about this new threat?" She asked.

"Not really. How're we supposed to defeat someone who has a weapon that can kill us all?" Bo didn't know where to start. "All this time, there's never been anything that can kill you guys. And yet, this guy finds something out of the blue? There's gotta be something more going on" she felt off about it.

Shay thought back to everything that'd happened since her Parents left. "Ronan isn't like anyone I've ever faced before. It's like he's hell bent on destroying us. The look in his eyes when he stabbed Ethan; it was like he felt accomplished. You wanna tell me the beef you had with his Mom?"

Bo explained to Shay what she told Bella before, about Zee and her connection to their family. She also told her about the deal she made with Zee, forbidding her from returning to the city.

"Guess that didn't work out so well did it?" Shay couldn't help but point it out. "So, you're saying that lunatic is actually our cousin?" Her Mother nodded. "I get that you banished his Mom but, it could've ended a lot worse; you could've killed her that day, and _he_ would've gone with her. But you didn't; if anything, he owes you his life" what an asshole!

That was something Bo didn't expect to hear from Shay. Even though the future had changed, and Shay was raised by her and Lauren instead of Jack; she was still the same as her future self, maybe a little less murdery.

"So, you're not gonna yell at me for not killing them both back then? Or tell me that's what _you_ would've done?"

Shay bowed her head, smiling. That sounded like her. "If you'd asked me _before_ I died, I probably would've said yes. But, actually having my life taken from me, has put a lot of things in perspective. I didn't realise how much I took my immortality for granted. I spent my whole life, thinking nothing could hurt me; but Ronan found a way" she felt an inner change.

Bo wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "He may have found a way, but like every other villain we've faced; he _will_ fall. I'm here now, okay?" She smiled at her. "I'd die before I let you guys go again. I love you" she brought her in for a hug.

"I love you too Mom" Shay whispered into her ear. She wasn't much of a hugger, but she was today.

 **Lauren's Clinic - Later**

As soon as she got in, she got Trick into a room and stabilised him. He was fine right now, but he wasn't out of the woods. Dyson was on his way to the cop shop to meet up with Tamsin so they could get started on looking up things about Ronan. Lauren hoped they'd find something on him soon. She hung a new bag of fluids next to his bed.

Ethan walked in holding two coffee cups, "Thought you could use this…" he handed her one. "… Milk and two sugars, just the way you like it" he winked at her. He'd been helping make her breakfast in bed every Mother's Day for the last two decades. He'd memorised her habits.

"Thank you sweetie…" she sipped it, and it tasted good. "… I'm so glad you're here. When I saw all of you laying there earlier, I felt like someone had torn my heart out and then chopped it up in front of me" she couldn't have said it any better than that.

And Ethan understood how that felt. "I'm sorry you had to go through that Mom. Everything that happened, was _my_ fault. I got cocky. I thought we didn't have to bother you and Mom. For once, I just wanted to handle a situation without being a burden to you guys. I never thought it'd end like this" he was sorry.

Lauren placed her coffee on the table next to Trick's bed, waiting for Ethan to do the same. She placed both hands on either side of his face, reaching up because he was so tall. "Listen to me. You are my son. And you are not, nor will you _ever_ be, a burden. I had my worst fear realised today. And I don't want to see it again. From now on, you need to be honest with us. Got it?"

"Got it Mom" he heard her, loud and clear.

She brought him down for a hug, "I love you, _so_ much. Never forget that, okay?" She spoke in his ear. Her kids were everything to her. And to lose them, destroyed her. But they were given a second chance, and that was all thanks to Trick. Which's why she wasn't letting him die.

Ethan hugged her back, "I won't…" he replied. "… And I love you too" they broke apart when Trick's heart monitor started beeping. He was coding.

Lauren rounded the bed, "Get the crash cart!" She told Ethan where it was, while she checked Trick's eyes. His pupils were dilated. "Come on Trick, stay with us!" Once he brought her cart, she charged the paddles of the defibrillator. She told her son to stand back while she jolted Trick's chest. She looked at the monitor, no change. "Come on!" She shocked him again, and finally got a heartbeat.

Both of them breathed in relief, "How can using his power do this?" Ethan didn't understand it.

Placing the paddles back on the table, Lauren checked Trick's breathing with her stethoscope. It wasn't perfect, but at least he was breathing. "He's never had to use it to bring four Hybrids back to life. He barely had enough to bring Charlie back. Clearly, it's taken a toll on him. I just hope he can recover from this" she made him as comfortable as she could.

"You don't sound so enthusiastic about that" Ethan noticed.

Lauren wasn't going to sugar coat it, Ethan was old enough to know how things worked. "That's because I'm a Doctor. I can put all my faith in the hope of him getting better. But ultimately, his survival depends on his vitals…" she pointed to the monitor. "… And right now, they're not looking good" she didn't know how else to say it.

This was it.

"Should I call Mom?" He asked.

That was one thing Lauren was unsure of. Whether or not to call Bo. She'd already lost her kids once today, the fact that they'd got them back; wouldn't make a difference if Trick ended up dying. She didn't think Bo would survive it. But, as his Granddaughter she had a right to be here. "Yeah. Tell her to hurry. I don't like the fact that Ronan's out there lurking somewhere"

He nodded, turning away to make the call.

 **Later**

Once she got the call, Bo drove straight over with her children in tow. Arriving, Charlie ran ahead and got to Trick's bedside first. She didn't tell anyone, but she wrote in her blood before they left the Dal; wishing for her Grandfather to recover. But seeing him now, she could see it didn't work.

Clearly, being a Blood Mage wasn't as amazing as everyone thought it was. "He's gonna be okay, right Mom?"

Lauren kept checking Trick's vitals, then turned to her daughter. "He will if I have anything to do with it…" she gave Charlie a smile. "… I'm not giving up on him sweetie, I promise" she walked away to grab some new bandages for his hand.

Bo followed her Wife to the supply closet. "And now that we're alone?" She knew Lauren better than anyone. "What're his chances of pulling through? Honestly?" She needed to hear it.

Sighing, Lauren stopped gathering items and turned to her. "Honestly? It's not looking good. You have to understand Bo. He used a lot of energy to bring them back, even with Charlie's help; it took a lot out of him. Hopefully, all he needs is some rest and then he'll be back to his normal bartending self"

"And if he doesn't pull through?" Bo asked.

Lauren stood close to her, "He will, I promise"

"I thought Doctors didn't make promises" Bo always heard from Lauren that it was wrong for Doctors to give that kind of guarantee.

Normally, that would be very true. But this was a different set of circumstances, Trick was her Family long before she married Bo. But now, he was that and more. He was the Grandfather to her children, her daughter shared his gift, and she named her youngest son after him. It didn't get more personal than that.

"This one does…" she referred to herself. "… I won't let him die"

Bo leaned into her, sniffling. Trying so hard to keep her tears at bay. She loved Lauren for remaining the strong one in all this. "In other news, I have Tamsin looking into Ronan. And also, the deal I made with Zee. If he's in violation of it, then hopefully the Elders will take care of him before I do"

"None of that will matter though if we don't take that special weapon away from him. Think about it Bo. If he finds out we brought them back, he might try again. And with Trick out of commission, Charlie won't have enough power to revive them on her own. We have to find a way to disarm him" Lauren couldn't go through that again.

Nodding, Bo agreed. "Maybe I should meet with him—" she got a scowl from Lauren, clearly she wasn't on board. "Look, I have to know why he's doing this. It can't just be because of Zee's banishment. She still got to live, she got the chance to have him. I _gave_ her that chance"

"I don't think he cares about any of that Bo…" Lauren didn't want to do this right now. "… Okay, let's just take a second. I'm gonna change Trick's gauze, and then the seven of us are gonna sit down and hash everything out. We've been gone for a while Bo, we need to know everything they do" she took the supplies and left the room.

 **Cafeteria – Later**

With Trick in stable condition, Lauren had the best nurses watching over him. She couldn't be in two places at once. And right now, she and Bo had to have a little sit down with their children, and find out what the hell had been happening while they'd been away. She and Bo sat together at the head of a lunch table while their five children sat around them.

"Okay. So, who wants to go first?" She looked at them.

They all just looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Except for Bella, she had her nose in a large book. "I'd be more than happy to speak—" Shay opened her mouth, but Bo cut her off with a _'No'_. "You asked who wanted to go first!" She was just doing as she was told.

"We didn't mean _you_ Shay…" Bo said. "… Whenever we need to talk about something serious, you make profound jokes and it gets annoying and infuriating _very_ fast. So, we will hear from anyone, but not you. Sorry" she gave her a side smile.

Shay folded her arms, turning her head away in a pout. "Well, that _does_ sound like me, but I'm still offended" she sat back in her chair. Fine, if they didn't want her input then she was going to stay out of it.

"You'll get over it. Now, the rest of you?" Bo looked at them. "Come on, someone needs to tell us what's been going on while we've been away. Out with it!" She was serious now.

Ethan exhaled, looking at his younger siblings. Clearly, he was nominated spokesman for them. "It started about a month after you guys left. We were living our lives, going about them as usual. And then, we got a letter in the mail. It was a threat. We didn't know it was Ronan at the time" he remembered getting that stupid letter.

"We just figured it was from another Fae asshat who hated us. But then, things started happening. Like, it rained. All the time. Which wouldn't be unusual. Only, every time one of us stepped outside, we were struck by lightening" Charlie added.

Patrick groaned, "Singed my hair pretty good one time. Had to cut it myself" he hated that day.

"When did Ronan show himself?" Bo asked. Ethan told her it was a few days after that. "This doesn't make any sense. He's had all this time to make a move. If it was really about revenge, then why go after you guys? He should've come straight for me, I'm the one who banished his Mother and killed his Father" she didn't get it.

And Lauren saw her point too. It was peculiar. "It's almost as if he was waiting for us to leave. So the kids would be unprotected. Not that they need it. But it's clear he wanted us out of the picture before he made his move. Why?" She frowned.

That was the moment Bella chose to join the conversation. "Because if you were still around, you'd find a way to stop him…" she'd finally found the answer. "… When I saw the weapon he used, I recognised the etchings on the blade. It's not just any dagger; it's a _sacrificial_ dagger. Only, whatever material it's made of, it's strong enough to kill a Hybrid"

"Sacrifice?" Shay opened her mouth again. "Like, _virgin_ sacrifice? Because I think we all know those ships left the harbour years ago. Well, all but one…" she nudged her littlest sister's arm, but immediately got a glare from Bo. "… Oh come on! We're all half of _you_. Did you really think we'd be abstainers?" She started laughing.

Sex was in their DNA.

Lauren waved her hand, "Okay, enough! See, this's why we didn't want you to talk!" She could always count on her eldest daughter to make it awkward. "Bella? What makes you think it's a sacrificial weapon?" She looked at her youngest.

Wanting to show her Mother what she'd found, Bella got up and rounded the table. Bringing a chair over to sit next to her Parents. "See these markings?" She placed her finger on the picture in the book. "These are the same markings that're engraved on that blade. That's why the marks started to glow when he killed them all. He was sacrificing them"

Bo vouched for her theory. "She's right, those are the exact same markings that were carved into that blade…" she remembered from when she saw it in Bella's mind. "… Question is, why did he create a sacrificial dagger to kill four Hybrids? What's in it for him?"

"He could've been using the power for something else?" Ethan said. "Whenever someone dies, they leave behind a signature of energy. What if he wants to harness the energy from all our deaths for something bigger? Is that possible?" He asked his youngest sister.

Bella thought it over, she'd spent many a night going through all the magic books in her Grandfather's Lair. And she'd familiarised herself with all kinds of magic. "Very possible. But, the fact that he needed to sacrifice _all_ you guys; means he must need a hell of a lot of power for whatever he's doing. I'm getting a bad feeling already" she didn't like it.

"We need to figure out what that weapon's made out of…" Shay was actually being serious now. No more jokes. "… Because if we try to stop him from harnessing the power of our deaths, there's nothing stopping him from killing us all over again. I don't know about you guys, but I for one don't feel like going through that again. It sucked!"

"How do we even go about that?" Patrick didn't have a clue.

Then Bo thought of something. "Whatever the weapon's made out of, it can't be manmade. There's no way it's made out of a Human metal. It's gotta be stronger than that. Maybe reinforced steel that's been blessed, or something else. He must've gone to a Fae metal smith to have it made. We just have to find the right one"

Ethan agreed. "Shouldn't be too difficult. There aren't that many around these days. I'll start on that…" he got up from the table. "… Right after I call Kayla, and tell her I'm gonna have to postpone our date tonight" he lifted his cell from his pocket.

Bo and Lauren were so happy when Trick mentioned he had a friend who's daughter's name was Kayla. They promised Ethan and Shay's future selves that they'd make sure Kayla and Sasha came into their lives.

Sasha and Shay weren't hard to put together. They'd been sneaking out together ever since they were kids. But Kayla didn't grow up with them, so it was harder.

But she and Ethan were together now, no baby yet though. Unlike last time. Which Bo and Lauren were kind of happy about. Whatever their age, they still looked young and being Grandmothers scared the shit out of them.

"Are you gonna tell her you kicked it today?" Shay asked. Sasha knew, he should tell Kayla too.

He shook his head, he wasn't going to upset her for no reason. "Nope. At least, not until I know the threat's over. Besides, the less she knows; the less danger she's in. Call me if you guys need anything" he kissed his Parents' goodbye, and then left.

Charlie was the next one to stand, "Can I stay with Grandpa?" When she got an okay from her Mother, she backed up and ran for the exit. She wanted to stay at his side until he woke up. She just didn't feel right leaving him alone.

"Well, unlike my _boring_ big brother; I have _no_ intention of cancelling _my_ date with Sasha…" Shay jumped up from her chair. "… Sorry, but no lunatic with a shiny knife is gonna come between me and my girl. I will be on standby, should you need my services. Later Fam!" She tapped her Mother's shoulder, before going for the exit.

"She's unbelievable" Bo shook her head, laughing.

Lauren laughed with her, "She's yours…" she saw her expression at that statement. "… Sorry, _ours_. But you're right, she is a little difficult. So, how about you two?" She looked at Patrick and Bella. "What're your plans?"

Patrick shrugged, "Right now I kinda wanna get back to my video games. Before that douchebag attacked the house, I was in the middle of the biggest online tournament of my life. Just hope they didn't break my stuff when they trashed the placed" he'd heard from his Mother that they turned the house upside down looking for Bella.

"Really? That's what's important to you right now, video games?" Bo couldn't believe some of her kids. It was like danger didn't phase them.

" _Online_ video games!" Patrick clarified.

Bella closed her book. "I for one would just like to go home. And maybe try to put this entire hellish day behind us. But, do you think the house's safe?" She looked at Lauren.

Lauren loved Bella's innocence, even at the age of eighteen, she still had it in spades. She placed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Safe or not, it's our home; we have to go back to it. Look, as long as your Mom and I are here; Ronan won't be getting near you. I promise" she kissed her head.

"I second that. But maybe she's right. Maybe we should see about putting a barrier around the house or something, just to be safe" Bo cared about protecting her children more than anything else right now.

And that was actually some Bella could help with. "I could put one up!" She said. "It's not that hard of a spell, and I've been practising. I wanna do it Mom, please" she begged her. She just wanted to feel useful.

Bo smiled, nodding. "Far be it from me to argue with a Sorceress. You want the job, then it's yours. Charlie's with Trick so I trust he'll be safe. We can always come back later to check in on him" she got up from the table, waiting for her family to follow her out.

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 **A/N: Catch you next time for another chapter. Let me know your thoughts.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: To clarify some things; Lauren doesn't have any actual powers in this story, but she is strong, and can heal herself. Also, there are no consequences when Charlie uses her blood because of her Human side. Hope that clears things up.**

 **Enjoy this one.**

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 **Chapter** **3:** **Dead-** _ **ish**_

 **Dennis Household**

As soon as they got home, Lauren decided to cook something to eat for them all while Bo cleaned up. It had been such a long day, and Patrick kept complaining about how starving he was. So, she made a pot of spaghetti and meatballs. Patrick's favourite. Bella had managed to place a boundary around the house, and it only allowed in people of their immediate bloodline.

So, no cousins allowed.

The four of them sat at the table, eating quietly. "You know, when I saw all of you laying on this floor earlier, I didn't think we'd have one of these dinners again. Really glad that's not an issue now" Lauren poured herself a glass of wine.

"I second that…" Bo noticed that Patrick was frowning at his food. "… Something wrong there bud?" She didn't understand what he was doing. Normally, he'd have had a third plate by now.

Patrick swallowed his food, not able to understand what was going on. "There's no taste!" He took the pot of sauce that Lauren kept in the middle of the table and poured more over. "There, maybe that'll do!" He smiled, taking another mouthful. But, it was still the same. "Ugh! It's like eating cardboard!" He pushed his bowl away.

"Wow, don't hold back!" Lauren said sarcastically. "I've made this for you a thousand times, and I've never heard so much as one complaint. What's the difference now?"

He sighed. "I dunno Mom, I'm sorry. It just, doesn't taste right" he hated it too. Normally, he loved everything his Mother cooked. She was a culinary wizard. But right now, he wasn't feeling it.

"Tastes fine to me" Bella barely got her words out due to her mouth being full of food.

Patrick watched his little sister continue to stuff her face with his favourite meal. And he was so jealous that he couldn't eat it. He was starving. But he couldn't keep eating it and have it taste so abnormal. "I'm just gonna grab a bottle of water and head upstairs. Maybe it's just all the stress of today. A nap might help. May I be excused?" He was taught to always ask first.

Bo nodded, "Sure…" she watched him grab a water and then walk upstairs to his room. "… Maybe you should've examined all of them before we left the clinic. Do you think the resurrection messed up their senses?" She wasn't sure.

And neither was Lauren, "Hard to say. Until Ethan, Shay and Charlie say the same thing; it could just be Patrick's body adjusting to the trauma. Let him sleep it off, if he's still the same later then I'll take him to get checked. We're probably worrying for nothing" it was better to tell herself that.

It made it easier to navigate this situation.

"So, if he's done with his food; can I have it?" Bella pointed to her older brother's bowl. "Why waste perfectly good spaghetti, right?" She was all for doing the right thing. When her Parents gave her the green light, she picked up Patrick's bowl and started pouring the contents into her own. "Sweet!"

Bo laughed, watching her youngest tuck in again. "Well, hopefully we can start to get back to normal. And once we do, we can come up with a plan of action for Ronan. But, our Family's wellbeing comes first" she kissed Lauren's cheek.

"Couldn't agree with you more. Last thing we need is something else to go wrong" Lauren finished the rest of her wine and poured another for herself. She couldn't help but think of that old saying after she said that.

Be careful what you wish for.

 **Sasha's Apartment**

Shay was still disappointed at the fact her big brother decided to blow off his Girlfriend to do research on Fae Metal Smiths. It a was boring. Besides, Ronan wasn't going anywhere. They had plenty of time to do all this. One thing she'd learned about dying for real though, was that she took her relationship with Sasha for granted. Due to the fact she never feared for her life, Shay always expected Sasha to be around for her.

But that wasn't the case. And she had some major life changes to implement. She sat on Sasha's couch while her Girlfriend made them some dinner. "So, remind me again why you didn't wanna sleep at my place tonight?" She flicked through the channels of the tv with the remote. There was nothing on.

"We've been over this Shay!" Sasha didn't know how many times she had to say it. "I love your place. It's homey, and cosy. But, I really don't feel like running into your Mom in the middle of the night when I need to use the bathroom. It's embarrassing" she loved the Dennis family, but she always felt uncomfortable when she and Shay would do their thing while everyone was in the house.

Clearly though, Shay didn't get the importance. "Which one? Because if it's Bo then she gets it! She knows what it's like to spend quality time with her lady while having a roommate. And if it's Lauren, then she won't care. As long as we don't break anything again" her Parents were cool with it.

"I still feel so bad about that antique lamp!" Sasha sighed sadly. She offered to pay for it, but Bo and Lauren refused. Plus, it was worth way more than she could afford. "But while we're on the subject, don't you ever wonder what it'd be like to have your own place?" She stopped what she was doing and walked to the couch.

Shay frowned at herself. "I do have my own place; it's called my bedroom!" She got nothing but an annoyed glare from her Girlfriend. "Honestly, I have thought about it. But, not even Ethan's moved out yet. There's safety in numbers you know" she liked being close to her family.

"I know. And I get it. If you're not ready to move out then, I can wait. But just know, whenever you do decide to take that leap; I know someone who might be willing to put you up for the foreseeable future" Sasha smiled cunningly, leaning in.

Raising an eyebrow, Shay played along. "Yeah?"

Sasha nodded, "Yeah, I really think you'd like her…" she gave her a soft kiss. "… Grown up talk aside; dinner's ready. So, move you're ass!" She turned away and walked back to the kitchen.

"I'm just gonna go wash up…" Shay jumped up and ran to the bathroom. She washed her hands, and then dried them. But as she looked in the mirror, she noticed something on her chest.

It was the stab wound she got from Ronan's special dagger. A faint red line still remained there. It should've healed by now. "… What the hell?"

And being that there was no sound in the bathroom, Shay's heightened senses could hear nothing. Not even her own heartbeat. That wasn't right. She pressed her hand on her chest, she felt no thumping coming from her heart. "I have to be going crazy!" She checked her pulse, and it was the same thing.

Nothing.

"Babe? You coming out or not?" She heard Sasha call from the kitchen.

Shay turned around in a panic, she didn't know what to do. Did she stay for dinner and tell Sasha what was going on? Or did she skip out on her and tell her Parents? She didn't want to be branded as a horrible Girlfriend. On the other hand, whatever was going on with her wasn't right. Or normal. Not that she'd ever been that.

She made a split decision right then and there, and she knew Sasha was going to hate it. Mostly because if she ever found out that it was a lie, she'd kill her. Maybe that wasn't a problem anymore though. She took her cell phone out, and brought it to her ear on her way out. "What? Are you serious? Okay, I'll be right there!" She faked a phone call.

Sasha got up from her kitchen island. "What is it?"

"That was my Mom, it's Trick; he's awake. I've gotta get over there!" Shay went to grab her jacket, when her Girlfriend offered to come with her. "No! You stay here. I'm sure once he's all better he'll be back home and then we can have a real party. Don't worry, I'll call you if anything happens. Love you!" She kissed her cheek, then ran off out the door.

Not knowing what to think, Sasha just stood there. "Love you too"

So much for Date Night.

 **The Dal**

Ethan was in the middle of doing his research on the Metal Smiths when Kayla decided to turn up at the Dal. He hadn't told her what happened today, mostly because he knew how worried she always got and this would just make things worse. He was alive, so she didn't need to get upset over nothing.

"Really sorry to hear about Trick…" Kayla walked into the Lair with two beers in hand, she knew he was doing something for his family and she wanted to help. She had nothing else better to do. "… Is he gonna be alright?" She sat next to him.

"I hope so…" Ethan exhaled. "… We'd all be devastated if anything happened to him. But Charlie especially, she'd be crushed. But you know, he's a tough old man. I'm sure he'll pull through just fine" he smiled.

She handed the beer to him, "If he's anything like you, then of course he will. Here's to him making a full recovery" she held up her beer, toasting to Trick's health. Maybe it helped, or maybe it didn't, but it was hope at the end of the day.

He knocked his bottle against hers gently, then took a swig. Only, as he was about to swallow it; all he could taste was something disgusting. It was so bad, that he had to spit it out. "Shit!" His face was a picture. "What the hell's in that?" He read the label. It was the same brand of beer he always drank.

"Whoa! Baby, what's wrong?" She saw his face, so she put her beer down and looked at him. "Are you okay?"

Ethan didn't want to worry her, so she just smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I guess it was just a little too cold…" that was a shitty excuse, but all he could think of. Suddenly, he heard his phone ring on the table. He picked it up, seeing it was sister. "… Perfect timing little sister. What's—"

"Don't talk, just listen; I think there's something seriously wrong with me dude!" She sounded panicked. "I was at Sasha's and we were about to have dinner. So I went to the bathroom to wash up, and when I checked the mirror; my wound from Ronan's sword was still on my chest. Actually, it's _still_ there! That's not even the freakiest part!"

He walked away from where Kayla could hear him. "What's the freakiest part?" He quickly checked his own chest and saw his own wound. That should've healed ages ago. This wasn't right.

She took a second to speak, but finally did. "I don't have a heartbeat!" She told him. "I know, it sounds crazy. But I checked, _thoroughly_! I felt my chest, and my pulse; nothing. E, I think I'm a Zombie! A fricking _Zombie_ , man! You have to check yourself, I think something went wrong when Charlie and Gramps brought us back" that was the only explanation.

He felt his pulse, and wouldn't you know; he felt nothing. As if he was dead. "I think you might be onto something sis. Look, calm down and meet me back at the house. We have to tell Mom, and see what she says. Who knows more than a Doctor, right? I'll be there soon" he hung up the phone.

"Everything okay?" Kayla asked, getting his attention.

Ethan turned around, not knowing what to say. So he just said the first thing that came to mind. "Yeah, just more family drama…" he wasn't exactly lying. "… Uh, I gotta go. But, would you mind sticking with the research? We really need to find a Metal Smith in the Colony that makes Sacrificial blades. Can you handle that?" He grabbed his keys.

Kayla smiled, nodding. "Sure. But, are you sure everything's okay?"

He made his way to her, kissing her head. "Everything's great. I'll call you later" with that he took off out the door in a hurry.

 **Dennis Household**

With Patrick upstairs, and Bella reading a book on the couch; Bo and Lauren were left with the washing of the dishes. They didn't mind. Although, Lauren hated wasting food she'd spent time cooking. "Shame Shay and Ethan aren't home, they could save me the trouble of throwing this away" she dropped the leftovers in the trash.

"Huh?" Bo was lost in her own head. She didn't know what to think at the moment. Her Grandfather was fighting for his life in hospital, and her kids were the victims of a Sacrificial ritual gone wrong. She was just glad that with them alive, Ronan couldn't finish it. "Sorry, I was somewhere else. What did you say?" she went to wipe more dishes.

Lauren wasn't bothered about moaning about the leftovers anymore. "Doesn't matter. Bo, you know if something's bothering you, you can talk to me. We're married, that's the kind of thing we're supposed to do. Are those rules suddenly lost on you?" she leaned against the counter, to face her.

Bo chuckled, "No, they're definitely not lost on me…" she leaned forward and gave her a peck, then placed another dry dish on the adjoining counter. "… I'm worried about nothing anyway. We have the kids back, Ronan can't get what he wants with them alive; so, it all worked out"

"But?" Lauren knew her too well.

Damn it, she had her. " _But_ …" Bo started. "… That doesn't mean he won't come back to try and finish the job. Maybe even take you and me out this time, that way no one can stand in his way. I just wish I knew what he was planning" she frowned, thinking about it.

"I don't think we'll ever know. And as for him coming after _us_? Let him try. We killed his Father, his Uncle, and sent his Mother packing. I think we can handle a little runt like him" Lauren wasn't worried in the slightest.

Suddenly, the door burst open as Ethan and Shay walked in. And they didn't look happy at all. Almost like they were scared of something.

"What's up with you two?" Bo asked.

Shay looked at her big brother, not knowing how to say it. "Uh, that's a mighty fine question Mom. Umm, where's Charlie?" she needed to see if it was happening to her too. But when her Mother told her that her sister was still at the hospital, she changed her question. "Okay, what about Patrick?"

Lauren pointed to the stairs, "In his room. He wasn't feeling well at dinner. Poor guy didn't even finish his food, which isn't like him at all. He just kept saying it tasted funny. It was hard not to take offense" she still wasn't over it.

That's when Ethan realised, it wasn't just the beer that tasted awful then. It was happening to Patrick too. "I'm gonna check on him. Shay, why don't you fill them in on what we've discovered…" he walked away when his Mother asked if it was regarding the Metal Smiths. He turned to her. "… Actually, it's much worse" he walked the stairs, going to find his brother.

All eyes were on Shay, as she smiled awkwardly. Not wanting to cause panic. "Umm, _you're_ gonna need your stethoscope…" she looked at Lauren, who just tried to question it. "… Trust me, don't bother asking questions. We haven't got time. Just, go get it. Please Mom" she watched her walk away.

Bo approached her, "You wanna tell me what's going on?" She didn't like this one bit.

Shay stammered, "I wouldn't even know how to. Let's just wait for the others. It'd really help if Charlie was here though. But, I know she won't wanna leave Grandpa. We'll have to make do without her…" she saw Lauren descend the stairs with her medical kit in hand. "… Let's do this"

"Do _what_ , exactly?" Bella was lost.

Ethan chose that moment to enter the living room with Patrick, who kept feeling his chest. "You need to examine us. While we were out, we noticed something troubling. For starters, this…" he lifted his shirt, revealing the faint scar in-between his pecks. "… Should've healed when you brought us back. Shay has it, and Patrick does too. We're not sure about Charlie since she isn't here"

Lauren understood that, but there was something else she was having trouble with. "So, why do I need my stethoscope?"

Shay took Bo's hand and placed it over her chest, "Tell me what you feel"

Well, for one thing; Bo felt weird. But, now that she actually focused she could feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. No rhythm, no pounding, nothing. "I don't understand…" she was confused. "… Why can't I feel your heartbeat?"

"Because I don't have one…" Shay said. "… None of us do. Care to listen for yourself?" She looked at Lauren, who came close to her with her stethoscope and listened closely. The look on her face told Shay everything. "And all this time you thought us being Hybrids was a medical marvel. Freaky right?"

Lauren pulled away, checking Ethan and Patrick who showed the same symptoms. "This's impossible. It's like, you're still dead; and yet, you're also alive. Almost like you're caught in between. Does this have anything to do with what happened at dinner earlier?" She turned to Patrick.

"Ethan said he can't taste anything either…" his brother told him all about the beer he spat out for no good reason. "… Mom, please say you can fix us?"

Not knowing what to do, Lauren took a second to think. One thing she knew, she couldn't do anything here. She needed to run more tests. That, and they had to know if Charlie was exhibiting the same symptoms. "Okay. Here's what's gonna happen; we're gonna go back to the Clinic, run some tests, do some more examinations, and take it from there"

"What about Charlie?" Bo asked, trying not to freak out.

"We'll talk to her when we get there. Let's go!" Lauren clapped her hands and her kids broke apart, grabbing their jackets and headed for the door.

 **Clinic – Later**

All she heard a few minutes ago, was a phone call from her family telling her to meet then in her Mother's lab. So naturally, Charlie went to meet them straightaway. Leaving her Grandfather in the hands of a capable nurse.

When she got to the lab, she saw Shay on a gurney while her Mother conducted some tests on her. She also noticed Ethan and Patrick sitting beside her. "Uh, what's going on?"

"Hard to explain right now, I need to check something!" Lauren got to her quickly, and checked her chest for the wound. But Charlie had no faint scar, and as she checked her heartbeat and pulse, it was thumping strong. "She's clear. Strong heartbeat, and no scar" she let the others know.

Charlie just kept frowning. "No scar? What're you talking about?"

Shay jumped off the gurney. "Long story. But, to give you the short version? Looks like when you and Grandpa brought us back, it didn't quite work as well as we thought. _We're_ still dead, but you're clearly not. And now I'm pissed!" She folded her arms in anger.

Bo got in the middle of her, "Okay, there's gotta be a simple explanation for all this. Charlie, you're our current Blood Mage, can you shed some light on this for us?" She was hoping since Trick taught Charlie everything he knew about being a Mage, that she'd be able to help.

"Off the top of my head?" Charlie gave a shrug. "I don't really know. Wait? You said when Grandpa tried to bring us back, that only I woke up. Right?" Her Parents nodded. "He must've only been able to bring me back because we're connected through our powers. As for why you guys are dead- _ish_ , I'm still trying to think" she turned away, thinking hard.

"Well, you might wanna think fast; because we can't go on like this!" Patrick hated it.

They were basically Zombies.

Bo placed an arm around his shoulders, "It's gonna be okay buddy, we're gonna find a way to fix this. I promise" she kissed his cheek.

Shay scoffed, "Might not wanna make promises you can't keep Mom" she didn't mean to be disrespectful, but this situation really sucked.

Suddenly, Charlie came back. "I think I know what happened…" they were all ears. "… After I woke up, that's when Grandpa started getting weak. It could be that when we combined our powers, it was enough to revive your souls, but not enough to reanimate your bodies fully. Grandpa passed out right after, to bring back one Hybrid is hard; but _three_? _I_ might not even be strong enough for that"

"So, you're saying we can _never_ be brought back properly? That were just gonna be walking corpses for the rest of our _immortal_ lives?" Ethan ran a hand through his hair, this was unbelievable.

Bella comforted her big brother. "I don't think she's saying that…" then she had an idea. "… What if I help Charlie do the resurrection again?" Everyone frowns at her. "I mean, I have magic. I've brought back animals before" she remembered all the times she used to bring back dead butterflies and birds.

She was just starting out then. Ah, youth.

"I don't think this'll be the same as bringing back a butterfly sweetie…" Lauren loved her for trying though. "… What're we gonna do?" She had no clue.

Bo decided to take charge. "We're all smart people. Some of us, smarter than others. And by that, I mean you are all smarter than me…" she was okay with it. "… I'm sure if we put our heads together we can come up with something" she really had to think hard.

What the hell was Ronan up to with this?

 **Ronan's Penthouse**

Even though his Mother was banished all those years ago, she still kept her wealth. And Ronan had lived a good life. But as fas his Family life went, it wasn't so good. His Mother constantly felt depressed from the loss of her Husband. His Father. The Father he never got the chance to know. All because of his cousin and her abominations that she called children.

Of course, it wasn't their fault that their Mother banished his own. But he didn't care. Because of her deep depression, Zee never returned to her glory. Everything he learned, he learned from history books that depicted his Mother as a powerful Greek God. It freaked him out a little when he saw his Mother's original gender was Male.

But he got over it quickly. He didn't care what she was, at least he was born. But like all lives, hers ended. Two years ago. And ever since that day, he vowed eternal hatred for Bo and her Family. He'd been planning this for months. Waiting for the perfect time to strike.

Due to the choice of his weapon, he had to wait a few weeks to get it ready. But when it was finished, he smiled from ear to ear. For the first time in history, he had constructed a weapon powerful enough to kill a Hybrid. As long as he had it, no one would dare cross him.

But suddenly, he saw the blade begin to glow red. Only, it was flickering. Something was wrong. One thing he'd noticed about this blade, was that it let him see the people he'd sacrificed. He picked it up by the hilt, and grasped it tight. Closing his eyes, he saw images flash before him.

Ethan.

Shay.

Charlie.

Patrick.

 _All alive_.

Ronan frowned, that wasn't possible. He'd done his research, he knew Trick wouldn't have enough power in his old age to bring the four of them back to life. So, he wasn't worried about him stepping in. But now he was seeing them alive. Well, that wasn't staying that way.

The good thing about this blade, was that once stabbed with it; it connected with its victims. He closed his eyes again, focusing on their four souls. But it was strange, he could only feel Ethan, Shay and Patrick.

As if Charlie was out of his reach. It didn't matter, he could make do with the three of them. He wasn't done with them just yet.

"Try coming back from this!" He whispered smiling.

 **Clinic**

In the last couple of minutes, everyone had offered possible ideas to fix their problem. Except for Shay, she just wanted to know if being dead meant she couldn't sexually perform. She was a Succubus before anything else. "Seriously though! What happens if I'm with Sasha, and we start off great; and then I can't…" she waved her hands around awkwardly to her Mother. "… You know!"

Bo shushed her, "Shay, I think we have more important things to deal with right now than worry if you have a rare case of Fae ED, okay?" She didn't want to be the one to talk about this. Lauren was the doctor, this should be her thing.

"Oh really, we both know if it was the other way around; you'd be blowing a gasket!" Shay turned her head away from her Mother. She knew she was in the right. As usual. Though, people loved to prove her wrong.

Suddenly, they both heard a loud groan come from Ethan. "E?" Shay got to her brother's side, he kept touching his chest. "What's wrong? Hey? Talk to us!" She tried to help him, but he began to bleed from his chest. "It's his scar-" she tried to comfort him but was immediately cut off when she felt a sharp pain in her own chest.

Looking down, she saw blood seep through her shirt.

Patrick was next, so Charlie grabbed him. "Mom? What'd we do?" She watched her siblings begin to bleed from their mouths as well as their wounds.

Lauren was at a loss. She took in the sight of three of her children convulsing in front of her. Bella tried to calm Shay and Ethan down while Charlie had Patrick. Bo approached her, wondering the same thing as her.

What the hell were they supposed to do?

* * *

 **A/N: Oooh, no! What's happening?! Let me know your thoughts.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Next one!**

* * *

 **Chapter** **4: Kamikaze**

 **The Clinic**

This was a nightmare.

Ethan, Shay and Patrick continued to bleed out from the scars on their chests. Bo and Lauren were powerless to help them, Charlie too. But as Bella watched on, she could feel something strange in the air. Something linked to magic. She bent down next to Ethan, who was being held by Lauren. They were trying to stop the bleeding, but it was no use.

Bella placed the palm of her hand on his wound, pressing down hard and closing her eyes. There it was, she could feel it. "It's a curse!" Her eyes shot open. "They're cursed! That's why they're bleeding!"

"What're you talking about? What kind of curse?" Bo continued to placed towels over Shay's wounds as she held her, not that it was helping.

This was so hard to explain to other people, Bella found it so frustrating sometimes. Her family were muggles compared to herself. "Ronan's dagger! It's a sacrificial blade, but it's also cursed! _He's_ doing this to them!" How much simpler could she make it?

Charlie had Patrick's blood all over her, "So, how'd we stop it?" She couldn't keep watching her siblings die over and over again.

Bella had to think quick. "I can't break the curse, but I might be able to cut off his reach to them. Salt! I need salt!" She looked at anyone who was listening.

"This's a lab, not a kitchen!" Lauren was having trouble concentrating due to the blood pouring through her fingers as she was pressing down on her son's wound. Then she remembered, "There's some Black Lava Salt in the cupboard!" She pointed to it with her free hand.

Running to get it, Bella grabbed the medium sized jar. She poured a circle of salt around her three siblings and told her Parents and Charlie to step outside. "Mind if I draw from you?" She turned to her sister, holding out her hand. The more power she had the better.

Grabbing it, Charlie held it tight. "Draw away baby girl!" She just held on, watching Bella do her thing. The lights in the room began to flicker on and off as she began to recite words in some ancient language.

Charlie was loving the fact that she was a just a Blood Sage. Bella had so much to remember.

When Bella was done, she opened her eyes. And saw that Ethan, Shay and Patrick weren't screaming in pain anymore, and they'd stopped bleeding.

It worked.

She also saw Bo begin to walk forward to check on them. "NO!" She stopped her, "You can't break the circle! It's the only thing protecting them from Ronan's reach"

"How did you know to use salt?" Charlie had to ask.

"Salt is known in Sorcery for purifying things, I figured it'd be a good way to keep Ronan from hurting them. But, that's white salt. Black salt, is _way_ better!" Bella was glad that her Mother had it.

Lauren was lost, and she didn't normally get confused. "Why?"

"Black salt holds more properties, it's more potent than any other kind of Salt. And it's often used in rituals to represent protection. That's what it's doing…" Bella pointed to her three injured siblings. "… It's protecting them from Ronan"

Bo looked at her three children inside the circle, they were starting to get up. "How long until they can come out?"

"Until I find a way to break the curse…" Bella sighed, "… But without Ronan's blade, that's gonna be difficult. The important thing right now, is he can't hurt them anymore. Not as long as they stay in the circle. I'm sorry Mom, that's the best I can do"

Shaking her head, Bo pulled her into a hug. She didn't mean to make her think it wasn't good enough. Because it was. In fact, she was impressed. "No baby, it's okay. You were amazing just now, taking charge and finding a fix. I'm so proud of you" she kissed her head.

"What about your blood?" Patrick asked Charlie. Surely, she of all people could end this.

But alas, Charlie had already tried that. "Been there and done that little bro. I dunno why, but whenever I try and hurt Ronan by writing in my blood; it doesn't work. He must've found a way to protect himself from my power" she wanted to help, but she couldn't.

Ethan looked down at his scar, and it'd stopped bleeding but it hadn't healed this time. "I'd really love it, if that didn't happen again. I feel like I've been backed over by a bus a hundred times" he stretched his muscles, feeling so sore.

"Yeah, I thought it'd end quick. We'd bleed out, and that'd be it but; it just kept going. It was endless…" Shay mumbled to herself, touching her open wound. "… I never thought I'd miss dying so much. Are we out of the woods?" She didn't want it happening again.

Lauren nodded, "According to Bella, yeah. But it doesn't fix the problem, we need that dagger if we're gonna try and break this curse. I've never even heard of something like this before" she'd been in the Fae world a long time, she used to be the sole expert.

But now, she was at a loss.

Charlie noticed her little sister was looking a bit out of sorts. "Bell?" She touched her arm, and as her sister turned her head, She saw her nose was bleeding. "Whoa, you're bleeding!"

Bella wiped under her nose, coming away with blood on her finger. "Huh?" She chuckled, in a daze. "Can't say that's ever happened before…" she fell into her sister, who asked if she was okay. "… Yeah, I'm good. Guess that boundary took a lot out of me. I just need to sit down for minute"

Bo helped her, "I got you, come on. You've more than earned the rest" she took her to and empty gurney and sat her down.

"So, what happens now?" Patrick asked, "We're just supposed to sit in here forever?" He was bored already. "Can someone at least get me my iPod?" There was no way he could sit here in silence.

After putting Bella on the bed to take a breather, Bo got some words of advice from her daughter to relay to the rest of her children. "Sorry, Bella says no one's allowed in or out of the circle. Which means I can't give you anything" she came to stand next to Lauren.

"This sucks!" Patrick sat on the floor, folding his arms in a pout.

"You can't leave me in here with him!" Shay pointed to her little brother, she loved him but he was such a handful. "It's gonna be like this the entire time! What I would _give_ to get my hands around Ronan's neck right now" she turned away in anger.

He was the reason they were stuck like this.

Charlie got a message on her phone, so she checked it. "Mom?" She turned to Lauren. "Grandpa's awake" she made one of the nurses check in with her if there was a change to his condition.

"Oh, okay. Why don't you head over to his room? I'll be right behind you" Lauren waited for her daughter to leave. "Are you gonna be okay here?" She asked Bo.

"Yeah I think so, I mean; they can't do anything. They have to stay in the circle. If they don't then Ronan can hurt them again. And don't worry about Bella, I'll keep an eye on her…" Bo gave her a kiss goodbye, then went to checked on her youngest again. "… Hey kiddo, how're you feeling?" She sat beside her.

Bella felt like she had enough of a break. "A little better. I should've known sealing three powerful Hybrids in a circle would've weakened me. Even with Charlie's power, it was still a lot. I should get back to work" she sat up, but felt dizzy again.

So, Bo told her to sit down again. "It can wait, your life is worth more than breaking some curse. Besides, you said you need the dagger before you can even attempt to undo it. I don't think Ronan's just gonna hand it over"

"True…" Bella agreed. "… That just begs the question; how _are_ we gonna get the dagger away from him?"

That wasn't something Bo knew the answer to. "I'm not sure yet. But you let me worry about it, okay?" She moved some hair out of her face. "Why don't you go in Mom's office and lay down on the couch? There's nothing anyone can do right now" without the dagger they couldn't break the curse, so that meant the circle had to remain unbroken.

Bella nodded, getting up and began walking to her Mother's office.

"Hey Bell?" Shay called to her from inside the circle, waiting for her little sister to face her. "You did good. We all owe you" she was impressed with the power her little sister had, it was way more than what she and Ethan had.

In fact, Shay had a feeling that Bella would be the strongest of them all one day.

"You'd do the same for me" Bella gave her a wink, then walked away.

Bo walked back to the circle, she couldn't believe they had to stay inside that small ring of salt until they found a way out this. "Gotta say, I wish things were a lot simpler around here. What're the chances of us ever having a normal day?" she laughed tiredly.

Ethan stood next to her in the circle. "What's the fun in that?" He didn't mind that their family was a little odd. It made life interesting. "We're gonna find a way outta this. We always do"

But she wasn't so hopeful. "What if we don't this time?" She'd never come up against anything like Ronan. Clearly he was smart, cunning, and powerful. And not only that, but he had a weapon at his disposal that was lethal to herself and her children.

"E's right…" Shay said. "… We're Dennis', it's gonna take a lot more than some stupid curse to take us down. You _and_ Mom taught us that" she gave her Mother a smirk.

Their entire motto, was that as long as they stood together, then nothing could ever destroy them. Family came first before everything.

"Yeah, I guess we did…" That little pep talk inspired Bo to do something. "… You guys gonna be okay here for a while? There's something I gotta do"

Ethan nodded, "I can hold down the fort until you get back. It's not like I've got anywhere else to be right now" he chuckled, looking down at the salt that sealed him in this circle.

With one last goodbye, Bo grabbed her jacket and left the lab. The errand she had to run wasn't something Lauren was going to like, or her children. But she had to try and make things right, this was all to do with a mistake she'd made. Everything that ever happened was always a consequence of her past actions.

It was time for her to make up for it.

Even if it meant sacrificing herself.

 **Trick's Room**

With the news that her Grandfather was awake, Charlie couldn't wait to get over to make sure he was okay. When they got there Trick looked better, but was still visibly weak. "You had us scared there Gramps" she gave him a hug.

"Well I do hope you can forgive me for that…" Trick welcomed the hug from her. "… Where're the others?" He didn't see anyone else come in behind Lauren.

Who, didn't want to make Trick worse by giving him bad news. So she decided to bend the truth a little. "They're in my lab, researching Ronan's magical dagger. You know, same old same old" she smiled, so not to worry him.

"Any luck?" He wondered.

Lauren shook her head, "None so far. But we're pretty sure his dagger can do more than just kill a Hybrid. We actually believe it might be a cursed relic" she wasn't going to tell him what happened back at the lab, just the other stuff.

She knew if she told him they were sealed in the lab, he'd want to get up and go and see them. In his condition that wasn't an option. It was better for him to think that they were fine.

"What leads you to believe that?" He asked.

And that's why Trick was smart, Lauren couldn't answer that question without telling him the truth. Luckily, her daughter swooped in to save the day before she let something slip.

"Bella can sense the curse in the others…" Charlie just made it up. Although, it might've been true. "… Through their wounds. You missed a lot while you were sleeping" she forgot to mention about the fact that her siblings were half dead.

"So it would seem" Trick had gotten used to it.

Suddenly, Lauren felt her phone start to vibrate in her pocket. "Excuse me…" she walked out of the room, it was Bo when she glanced at the screen. "… Hey, how's everything going over there?"

"Uh, everything's fine. Bella's taking a nap to recharge herself and the others are quietly entertaining themselves in the circle. How's Trick?" Bo asked.

"He's still a tad weak, but other than that he's doing fine. I'd say he's gonna be out of here by tomorrow morning at the latest. Is that really what you called for though?" Lauren felt like something was up. She was usually right about these things.

And this was where Bo wanted to come clean, but she couldn't. Because then that'd make what she was trying to do even harder. "Yeah, why else would I be calling?"

Lauren shrugged, holding the phone to her ear. "You tell me. You sound a little, _off_. Bo, are you _sure_ everything's okay?"

"Everything's great…" Bo dodged it. "… Listen, I gotta go. Shay and Patrick are fighting over something. But, I'll see you back here in a bit. I love you Lauren" it was better for Lauren to think she was still in the lab.

Okay, something was definitely wrong. "I love you too" she didn't have a chance to reply more than that because Bo cut her off. Why would she say that? It was as if she was saying _'I love you'_ for the last time.

What was she up to?

 **Sasha's Apartment**

In order to save her kids, Bo knew the only thing she could do was to face Ronan herself. It was because of her that he was doing this. So, she hoped giving herself over to him would make him stop the attacks on her children. No, it wasn't the best plan but she had to do something. Which was why she had to call Lauren one last time.

She knew if she asked Ethan where to find Ronan, he'd never tell her. But she was betting that Sasha would know. So, she knocked on her door and waited for an answer. When she answered, she was surprised to see Bo there. "Mind if I come in for a sec?"

Sasha nodded, "Sure…" she let her in, closing the door after her. "… Does this have something to do with Trick? Shay said he'd woken up, that's why she left in such a hurry earlier"

Bo had no idea what she was talking about, but clearly Shay had told Sasha a lie after she found out she was still dead. "Uh, no it's nothing to do with that. Trick's fine, he's on the mend. I wanted to ask _you_ some questions actually"

"Shoot" Sasha didn't mind helping.

"I need to know where I can find Ronan. If I ask Ethan he'll just tell me it's not safe. He's always the protector, he gets that from Lauren. But, _you_ can tell me" Bo said.

Sasha folded her arms, laughing nervously. "Why would you think he's told me?"

This was where Bo had her, "I don't. But I can guarantee Shay _has_. That girl is _incapable_ of keeping a secret, especially when it comes to you. Sasha, please. I need to find him; if I don't he's gonna kill them" she was desperate.

Which led Sasha to believe that something was wrong, "Is Shay okay?" She thought the worst.

"For now, yes" Bo replied.

Sasha didn't need to hear the rest to know that Bo was being serious. And even though she wanted to evade the initial question, clearly Bo knew that Shay would've told her. "I've never seen Ronan myself. But, Shay told me Ethan followed him back to his place once…" she scribbled down his address on a piece of paper. "… This's where you'll find him"

"Thank you" Bo was grateful.

"They don't know you're going over there, do they?" Sasha could tell. "You really shouldn't go over there alone. If that dagger can take down a Hybrid, then imagine what it can do to you. I don't mean to be disrespectful, I'm just giving you a warning" she didn't want her Girlfriend's Mother to end up dead.

Bo smiled, that was Dyson's influence on her. "You've got a lot of your Dad in you Sasha. He's given me similar advice before. And while I appreciate it; this's something I have to do. If I don't, my family will be destroyed. This's _my_ mess. It's about time I cleaned it up" she thanked her again for the information, then left.

After she left, Sasha tried calling Shay but she got no answer. Typical. "Why can't you ever answer the phone when I need you?!" She hated when Shay did this.

 **The Clinic – Lauren's Lab**

Shay heard her phone ringing from the counter, but because of the boundary around her she couldn't get to it. "It's Sasha, I know it is! As if I don't have enough to make up for already! She's gonna be so pissed at me!" She wanted so badly to cross the line of salt, but she was told she couldn't.

"I think she'll understand once you tell her what happened—" Ethan stopped talking when he heard his own phone ring. That was weird. But it wasn't Sasha, it was Lauren. "Hey Mom, how's Grandpa doing?" He was wondering.

"He's good, a little tired but good. Listen, I just got off the phone with your Mom and she seemed a little strange. Is she okay?" Lauren asked.

Ethan frowned, "Uh, she seemed okay when she left earlier…" his Mother asked him what he meant by that. "… She told us she had something to take care of, so she left. Bella's still sleeping, and we're still stuck in the circle. She didn't tell you?"

"No, she didn't…" Lauren sighed. "… I have a really bad feeling about this"

Suddenly, Ethan heard a beep on his phone. "Hang on Mom, I've got another call…" he opened the line to Sasha, "… Hey Sasha, Shay can't get to her phone right now. We've kinda got a situation going on over here. She'll call you when she can-"

"It doesn't matter! Listen, Bo came by a few minutes ago. She wanted to know where Ronan lived. Don't get mad, but I told her. Shay told me you followed him home a few weeks ago. I'm sorry Ethan. I think Bo's gonna give herself over to him. And as long as he has that dagger, it won't end well" Sasha was so glad she got through to someone.

Ethan glanced at Shay, who was wondering why he was giving her a death glare right now. "Thanks for telling me, I'll take care of it…" he kept as calm as he could. And that meant not worrying his Mother on the other line.

They just didn't need it.

He switched the call back. "… Hey Mom, sorry about that. That was actually her on the other line, she's just picking up the research books Kayla and I were looking at. Nothing to worry about" he smiled into the phone.

Hearing his Mother breathe relief on her end meant he did the right thing, "Okay, thanks sweetie. Charlie and I will be back soon, I'll tell your Grandpa you're thinking of him" she said goodbye.

Shay waited for him to put the phone down. "I know that look…" she pointed at his face. "… You're gonna hit me, aren't you?" She closed her eyes, "Just make it quick. I'm sure I deserve it" she always did.

Ethan kept his cool. "Oh, you do. But I don't have time for this right now!" He made a judgment call, and stepped out of the circle, both Shay and Patrick started yelling at him. Telling him to get back inside. "I can't! Mom went to Ronan! She got his address from Sasha, because _you_ didn't keep your trap shut!"

After hearing that, Shay definitely knew she deserved that slap. "Oh, _that_. What'd you want me to say? She's my Girlfriend. I don't like lying to her"

"Whatever, it doesn't matter now. I need to get over there before Ronan kills her!" Ethan went for the door, but Shay stopped him as she also stepped out of the circle. "Shay, don't argue with me! Stay here with Bella and Patrick"

Shay shook her head, "Hell no! I'm not letting you go alone. It's better if we both go. But _you're_ not!" She turned to Patrick, "Stay in the circle, when Mom and Charlie get back explain what's going on. I mean it Patrick!" She was serious.

"You guys never trust me!" Patrick was starting to feel left out. They always kept him out of the loop on things. He was part of this family too.

Ethan sighed, he didn't have time for one of his tantrums. "We do trust you, it's just we've got more experience in this stuff than you do. Besides, someone has to stay with Bella. Mind the fort, keep _her_ safe. Think you're up for the challenge?"

Patrick wasn't happy, but he knew he had to stay. "Sure. Just, make sure Mom's okay" that was the most important thing in all this.

"You got it little bro…" Shay winked at him, "… Let's go!" she tapped Ethan's arm as the two of them ran for the door. They would've liked to have changed out of their bloody shirts, but time was of the essence. Weapons could come later too, they had extras in their cars.

 **Ronan's Apartment**

The south side of the city was where the more elite of their civilisation, lived. It was all Porches, Aston Martins and Jaguars on the road. Which was why Bo's Camaro stuck out like a sore thumb. She'd had it restored in the last few years, but it still looked out of place in this neighbourhood. So, she parked it in an alley across the street from Ronan's apartment building.

She looked down at Sasha's note again, it stated that Ronan lived on the top floor of his building. Like Mother, like Son. She seemed to recall Zee had high standards too. "Time to settle this!" she took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for what was to come.

She loved her kids, and her Wife. That love would follow her to her grave.

Bo ran across the street, and into the apartment building. She quickly took the elevator to the top floor. When it opened, she was met with the same young face she saw in Bella's mind. He was surprised to see her.

"You must be Ronan"

Ronan couldn't believe his eyes, she actually had to nerve to come here. "Well, this's just fantastic!" he laughed. "My Mother said you were dumb, but I didn't think she meant it literally. Why would you come here?" he asked, lifting his special dagger from his waistband. "Especially since, I have this" he waved it about.

"You don't scare me Junior…" Bo was unimpressed, he was just like his Mother. "… Being cocky will only get you so far. I mean, it didn't exactly work out well for your Mommy, did it?"

He grabbed the collar of her jacket, and pulled her out of the elevator, slamming her into the opposite wall. "Insults?!" he brought the dagger to her throat. "You really think that's the way to go? Unless, you're _trying_ to provoke a response outta me…" he felt a vibe. "… Do you _want_ me to kill you?"

"I just want you to leave my kids alone…" she replied. "… Your anger is with _me_ , not them. _I_ was the one who banished your Mom, _and_ killed your Dad. You wanna make _me_ suffer, not my kids" she didn't care what would happen to her.

Her kids meant more than anything.

"Don't you get it?" he chuckled, "Hurting your precious children, _does_ make you suffer. Otherwise you wouldn't be here right now, trying to make a deal. Thing is, my reason for going for your kids isn't just out of revenge. I've got _big_ plans for them"

Bo listened closely, "Hmm, okay. And what kinds of plans would those be?"

He tutted, shaking his head. "Naughty! Don't spoil it!" he continued to laugh. "Don't worry, _cousin_ ; you'll find out soon. But, since I've got you; mind if I ask you a few questions?" he grabbed her arm, and took her into his apartment. "What did my Dad ever do to you? Why'd you kill him?" he'd wanted to know for so long.

She figured he'd ask sooner or later. "What does it matter? Whatever answer I give you, won't be good enough. Besides, I'm betting Zee probably twisted the truth when she told you. She was always a bit of a drama queen" she became disgusted thinking of her Aunt.

Zee was evil incarnate.

"She told me you hated them because of what your Father did to you…" Ronan said. "… Once you got rid of him, you decided you wanted to get rid of _all_ the ancients. Including my Mom and Dad" that's what he'd been told.

Bo laughed, shaking her head. "She lied to you Ronan…" she didn't expect anything less from Zee. "… That's not even _close_ to what really happened. Everything I've ever done; I've done to protect myself, or my family"

"Everything's always about family with you, isn't it?" Ronan hated the sentiment. He was better off alone. " _I'm_ Family, aren't I?" he got a nod from her. "Okay, so then why don't you tell me _your_ side of it?" he stood with his dagger in hand, showing her that he was the one calling the shots. "I want the truth"

She nodded, "My Father was the God of the Underworld, and a monster. He had plans to steal my kids and raise them as his own, so he could turn them into weapons he could use. I stopped him before he had the chance" she left out the time travelling part of the story, no one knew about that but her and Lauren.

Not even Shay and Ethan.

"What's that gotta do with my Parents?" he asked.

But, she was getting to that. "A few years after Shay was born, your Parents ascended from Myth. They figured the Human world was a good enough place to start over. At first, I thought they wanted peace. But, that quickly turned around. Your Mom and Dad tried to claim the Earth, they wanted to be its rulers. I couldn't let that happen"

"So you just decided to kill them?" he figured.

Bo shook her head, "No. I might _be_ Hades' daughter, but I am _nothing_ like him. I offered your Parents a deal. To leave, and go back to Myth. If they didn't, then I'd make their lives miserable. Your Dad, Hera; didn't like my offer. He attacked me. Killing him wasn't my intention, it was self-defence"

Ronan scoffed, "You expect me to believe that?" anyone would say that.

"That's up to you. But believe it or not Ronan, I'm not the villain in your story…" Bo could see there was a glimmer of goodness in him. There had to be. No one was born evil. "… I'm just a Succubus trying to protect her family. That _could_ include you too, if you want?"

He was conflicted. No one had ever offered him something like this before. Then he looked down at his dagger, snapping out of those reservations. He made his Mother a promise. "I don't play well with others. Besides, I've got a plan. And I intend to see it through"

"What plan?!" Bo asked again.

"It's a secret. I don't really need to stab you with this blade…" he glanced at it again as he approached her. "… Sacrificing four Hybrids already juiced it up enough. And those sacrifices will serve me greatly, later. But what the hell? What's a little more energy?" he went to strike her with the dagger when suddenly, he was grabbed by the back of his head.

Ethan got to him just in time, "Your stabbing days are over, psycho!" he threw him into the far wall with an impressive amount of strength. As he kicked the dagger away from him, he lifted him up by his throat. "This's what happens when you mess with our Family" his eyes shined blue.

"End it" Shay grabbed the dagger and stood next to her Mother. It was time for Ronan to go to hell.

Holding him, Ethan pulled Ronan to the big bay windows that looked over the city. Twelve stories was a long way to fall. "Nice view you got here…" he smiled, glancing at the sky. "… I hear it looks even better on the way down. Make sure you take it all in. Goodbye Ronan" with one push, he threw him through the window.

Pieces of glass followed Ronan as he began to drop down the twelve-story building.

"Try electrifying your way outta that one, bitch!" Shay looked out the window, they were so high up that she couldn't see the street below.

They were in for a sight when they finally got to the lobby.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh, is it over? Or just beginning? Let me know your thoughts.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Next one!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5** **: Pieces of The Puzzle**

 **Ronan's Apartment**

Bo didn't know how to respond to what just happened. It all went down so fast. But she managed to snap out of it, and realised her children were somewhere they weren't supposed to be. "I told you _not_ to leave Bella's circle!" She turned to Ethan. "You may be an adult, but I'm still the Parent. And what I say, _goes_!"

Ethan was finding it hard to listen to her right now. He wasn't one for being disrespectful, or even rude. But, this time it was called for. "No it doesn't…" he shook his head at her. "… Not this time"

Shay immediately stepped away from them, she knew that kind of back talk was going to get Ethan in a lot of trouble. Oh well, it was nice having a big brother. But, for that Bo was going to destroy him. Funny, it was usually _her_ who spoke back. How times change.

" _Excuse_ me?" Bo couldn't believe his defiance.

"Do you realise, if I hadn't gotten here when I did; you'd be _dead_?!" He was really angry with how reckless she'd been. She was supposed to be the Parent, who made the right decisions. But this wasn't good for anyone. "How could you just go and do something like that? Did you even stop to think about us—your family?"

Bo was really getting sick of his back talk now. "You're pushing it Ethan…" she warned him. "… I advise you to calm down, and remember your place!" She wasn't going to be spoken down to by her own son, _she_ was the Mother.

Ethan just laughed, "My _place_?" Was she serious? "I'm your _son_ , not your soldier. If you wanna be mad at me for saving your life, then fine. _Be_ mad! Ground me, for all I care. But I will _never_ apologise, for keeping you alive…" he gave her such a serious expression. "… You may not think you're important enough, but I do. You're my Mother" he couldn't be here any longer, so he turned around and left.

Shay sighed, that was going to be fun when they got home. "Hey uh, I think we should head back before Mom and Charlie realise we're gone…" she came up beside her Mother. "… And maybe it's best we don't let them in on this. Mom will just flip out"

That was very true. Bo had been on the receiving end of Lauren's rage a few times. "Yeah, you're right. So, that's the dagger huh?" She looked at it in Shay's hand. "Well, at least we have it now. It can't be used to hurt anyone else. Maybe now Bella can use it to break the curse"

"And we can go back to normal?" Shay said.

"What's normal for us?" Bo didn't know anymore. "Come on, let's go" she and Shay walked out of the apartment, and found that Ethan had already taken off by the time they'd gotten down to the lobby. He was in a mood, it was better for him to cool off without them.

As they were crossing the street, they saw a crowd of people start to gather around Ronan's body. He'd landed on the hood of a car, and it wasn't a pretty sight. Soon the ambulances would be here and after them, the police.

Even if they did investigate Ronan's death, and the evidence led back to them; Bo and her kids would take care of it.

Just like they always did.

 **The Clinic – Later**

Luckily, they managed to beat Lauren and Charlie back to the lab. Ethan's wasn't anywhere around. Bo knew he'd probably gone to the Dal to cool off. She would talk to him later. The ride back had made her think a lot, and she'd realised that maybe she was a little reckless going to Ronan's alone.

At the end of the day, she had a family that needed her. She just figured she was doing the right thing. Bo walked in with Shay, who immediately handed the dagger to Bella who had woken from her nap.

"It's gonna take me a while to study this writing…" Bella touched the markings on the blade. It was weird. "… But the good news is, without the dagger Ronan can't hurt you guys. So, good work" she gave a thumbs up.

Suddenly, they all heard applause coming from a few feet away. Lauren walked in, clapping her hands as she heard what Bella said about the dagger. She was a little pissed right now, because she knew something had happened while she'd been gone.

And by the way Bo was averting her eye line right now, made Lauren think it had everything to do with _her_.

"Someone wanna tell me what's going on?" She looked at Bo, who just stuttered. "I see you have Ronan's dagger…" she approached her youngest daughter, taking it from her. So, this was the weapon that had the power to kill her kids. "… How'd you get it from him?"

Shay stepped forward, "Actually uh—"

Lauren stopped her from talking, "Thank you sweetie, but I was actually talking to your Mother. Bo?" She stared at her Wife. "Care to fill me in?"

This was tricky.

Bo couldn't tell her how they got it without telling her what she planned to do. And once Lauren found out, she was going to be furious. "I was-"

"Covering for me…" Ethan chose that moment to walk in, he heard everything from the hallway. And even though he was having a spat with his Mother, he couldn't let his Parents end up fighting over something that'd ended now. "… She was covering for _me_ " he made it clear.

"Explain" Lauren said.

He nodded, stepping closer to her. "While Mom was at the Dal, grabbing the research books like I told you; I made a decision to end this. I couldn't be stuck in that circle forever. So, I went to Ronan's place and caught him off guard"

This was a lot of information, and it seemed a little made up. "You just walked in, and took the dagger from him? Where's Ronan now? Surely he wasn't happy you took it"

Laughing, Ethan shook his head. "Ronan took a _long_ trip, I doubt we'll be seeing him ever again. What we need to worry about now, is breaking this curse, and getting rid of these wounds" he pulled the collar of his shirt to the right, showing them his scar.

Lauren calmed down, even though she knew Ethan was lying to her. Which was peculiar for him, because he was as honest as they came. But she could deal with it later. "Alright, then let's do that…" she gave the dagger back to Bella. "… Are you okay?" She asked him.

Ethan looked down, seeing her hand on his shoulder. He took it, smiling. "Never better…" he flashed her his charming smile, which he liked to think he got from her. "… Kinda beat though. I'm gonna head home and get some rest" he turned around and left the lab.

"Ethan, wait-" Bo tried to call him back but he kept walking. She'd really screwed up. "I think going home is a great idea. Let's all go" she ushered her family out of the lab, still dodging Lauren's questions as they left.

 **Dennis Household - Later**

When they got in, Ethan was just in front of them. But he went straight to his room, not wanting to talk to anyone. This was just the cherry on top of a perfect week. "Bella? Why don't you do your thing, and work on the dagger? The rest of you, I'm sure you've got other things you'd like to be doing" she watched her four children disperse, walking off in different directions. "What a day!" she exhaled.

"Indeed…" Lauren agreed, noticing the hostility between Bo and Ethan. "… What's up with him? Why's he so eager to be away from you?" She saw the way he ignored her when Bo called to him, Ethan was never like that with anyone.

He was the nice one.

Bo shrugged, "Beats me. He gets the stubbornness from you, so you might be waiting a while for an explanation. I wouldn't hold my breath" she kissed her Wife's cheek, then went to the kitchen to fix herself a big drink.

Not able to let it go, Lauren left Bo to her drink and walked upstairs. She checked in Bella's room, seeing her youngest sitting on her bed, making note of all the markings on the blade. She figured she'd start trying to decipher them, and go from there. Her tenacity to never give up made Lauren very proud.

Charlie was helping her, having spent a summer studying ancient languages with Trick.

All of her children were well read. And well educated. They loved taking in new information. No surprise there. Intelligence ran in their DNA. Except for Shay, she could take the information in but she always got bored in the process. But she was far from stupid. She took after Bo the most.

Shay was in her room, returning a call to Sasha. And by the sound of it, they weren't having a pleasant conversation. So, Lauren left her to it. Across the hall was Patrick's room, and he was too engrossed in his video games to even notice she was at the door. Better to leave him be.

Lastly, Lauren walked to Ethan's room and knocked on the door. He may've said he was tired, but Lauren knew him well.

Ethan wasn't one for taking naps. He always said that's what lazy people did. When she got the okay to enter, she opened the door with a small smile. "Hey, mind if we talk for second?" He nodded, waving her inside. She pulled his desk chair over to his bed, and took a seat. "So, do you wanna tell me what _really_ happened today?"

"I already did" he replied.

"I'm your Mother, Ethan…" she reminded him. "… You think I don't know when you're lying? Come on, spill" she didn't believe his story downstairs, not for a second. She was a Mother, and it was her job to know these things.

He sighed, sitting up to face her. "I only went to Ronan's because Sasha called me to let me know that Mom was already heading over there. I guess she figured I wouldn't tell her where he lived, but knew that Shay wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut, and told Sasha. Mom planned on giving herself over, without _any_ regard for us" he still didn't like it.

And now that Lauren was hearing the truth, she agreed with him. Bo was in so much trouble. "But you got there in time?" She was hoping.

Nodding, he answered yes. "The worst part is, she didn't care what would've happened to her if I hadn't…" he didn't get it. "… Whatever Ronan's reason was for attacking us; even if it _was_ a consequence of Mom's past actions, that doesn't mean the only option is to go on a kamikaze mission"

"You're right…" she said. "… And I'm gonna talk to her about it. But sweetie, one thing you need to know about your Mom; is that when something bad happens and she feels like she's to blame, she takes the whole weight of it on herself. And unfortunately, that leads her to make the wrong decisions. But wrong or not, she only ever does those things for her family" she had to come to Bo's aid on this one.

Everyone was selfish in their own way.

Even Bo herself. But, more often than not Bo always made sacrifices for her family and friends. She loved them so much, and when someone was hurting them because of choices she'd made, it would kill her. So, she'd force herself to make things right. Even if it was a stupid idea.

"I just want her to realise, this family can't go on without her…" he may've been the oldest, but he still got scared sometimes. Especially when it came to his Parents and their wellbeing. "… She's too important-you both are"

Lauren almost welled up at that statement. "As are you, my beautiful boy…" she chuckled, knowing he'd hate hearing that. She got up, giving him a hug and a kiss on his cheek. "… Everything'll be okay now. Besides, no one can ever stay mad at your Mom. Trust me, there've been times when I've wanted to hate her, but even then you can't help but love her. It's part of her charm" she loved that about Bo.

"Isn't that what Shay says about herself?" He wondered.

She nodded, "Yeah, except when you hate Shay; you _keep_ hating her until she apologises. Your sister may think she has that Dennis charm on lock, but your Mom's been perfecting it for decades. Shay still has a lot to learn" her daughter was a handful, but she loved her.

All of her children were a challenge, but Lauren wouldn't change it. If anyone offered her a do over, she'd turn them down within a millisecond. She had everything she wanted right now.

"Do me a favour?" He caught her as she got to the door. "Tell Mom I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier. And, that we're cool" he was over it. That talk really helped.

Lauren smiled, "I'll see that she gets the message" with that, she left him in silence.

 **Bo & Lauren's Room**

After her drink, Bo decided to just call it a night. But that didn't stop her from bringing her drink with her to bed. She sat the glass of whiskey down on her nightstand, then went to change into something more comfortable. As she was leaving the bathroom, she noticed Lauren slipping into the room, and she didn't look happy.

"Not tonight Lauren…" she couldn't be asked for this right now. "… It's been a long day, and it'd be great if what's left of it didn't end in a fight" she took a seat on her side of the bed.

Lauren was going to sidestep the tone she was receiving from her Wife. It was just going to make her angrier. "Too late…" she replied. "… The fight started when Ethan told me the truth about your little outing today. That's why you were acting weird on the phone, because that was your _goodbye_ " it made sense now.

Closing her eyes, Bo sighed. "What'd you want me to say?" She frowned at her. "All I was trying to do, was fix my mess! Isn't that what grown ups do? Own up to their mistakes?"

"Yeah Bo, they do. But they don't do it by going on a suicide mission!" Lauren was really appreciating the fact that they sound proofed their bedroom. Although, they initially did it for a _different_ kind of screaming. "Were you really gonna let him kill you? _Knowing_ you'd be leaving us behind?"

This wasn't what Bo wanted. "Why does it matter now?" She asked. "Ronan's dead, we got the dagger, our kids are safe; we _don't_ need to talk about this anymore" she turned away, going for her drink.

But Lauren wasn't done, " _Yes_ we do!" She took it from her and went to the bathroom to pour it down the sink. "Bo, I get it. Okay? I do. You feel guilty. You feel like what happened to the kids is your fault, but it's _not_ " she knelt before her, holding her hands.

"You were there Lauren. You saw it happen…" Bo said. "… If I'd just left Zee and Hera alone, none of this would've happened. Trick wouldn't be in the hospital, and my kids wouldn't be cursed!"

"You're right Bo, I _was_ there!" Lauren pointed out. "I remember the horrible things Zee and Hera did. What they had planned for the Humans and the Fae. You couldn't sit back and let them take the world for themselves. No, instead you took a stand, and you stopped them. You saved all of us. And you should _never_ feel guilty for that"

Bo wanted to agree with her, but at a certain point she had to wonder if maybe the decisions she made in her past were just setting her up for future failure. Every noble choice she'd made, had come back to bite her in the ass. Only this time, it had hurt her kids instead.

"I just wanted to make things right" she started to get emotional.

Wanting to comfort her, Lauren stood up and brought Bo into a hug while she remained seated. She felt Bo's arms encircle her waist, and her head rest on her stomach. "I know…" she bent down, kissing the top of her head. "… It's gonna be okay"

"Ethan hates me" Bo was still kicking herself for that. She shouldn't have spoken down to him in the way she did. He wasn't a subject, he was her son.

Lauren shook her head, "Ethan could never hate you…" she wasn't worried about that. "… He loves you too much. He was just upset that you went there without telling anyone. He already told me to tell you he's fine, and that you guys are okay"

Bo pulled back, "He did?" she got a nod from her. That was a weight off her chest. She couldn't live with herself when her kids resented her. "Should I go talk to him?" she didn't know if it was a good idea.

"You can if you want, but maybe what we all need right now is some rest…" Lauren said. "… I'm sure you'll both feel a lot better in the morning. And you can talk things out with clear heads. Come on" she rounded the bed, and laid on her side. She didn't have to ask Bo to move closer, it was instinctual at this point.

Laying next to her, Bo couldn't help but smile at her loving Wife. "Why'd you put up wth me?" She saw her frown. "I mean, I'm not exactly the poster girl for marriage. And god knows, I piss you off on a weekly basis; so, why'd you stay with me?" She was genuinely asking.

"I stay with you because I love you Bo…" Lauren rolled over on top her, leaning down for a kiss. "… And as for the rest? No marriage is easy. If you can find someone who says their marriage is perfect, then I'd call bullshit!" She didn't believe it that.

If life was perfect then no one would have problems. It would be rather boring.

"What about me pissing you off?" Bo asked.

Lauren kissed her again, remaining close afterward. "It just makes me love you even more" she whispered.

"You locked the door, right?" She knew this wasn't exactly the best time to feel turned on, but Bo couldn't help it. Not when she was this close to her Wife.

"Is it my first day?" Lauren asked sarcastically, she wasn't new in this house. They'd gotten good at having private time away from the kids.

Bo chuckled, rolling over so that she was no on top. "I wish it was _my_ first day…" she had a good reason. "… Then I'd be able to fall in love with you all over again" those particular words left Lauren speechless, which was what Bo was going for.

That just made Lauren blush, "Well, that does sound pretty amazing" she brought her down for another kiss, and as they did she felt Bo's hand travel down to her waist. Looked like things were speeding up.

They very rarely had a quiet moment to themselves. They had five kids for crying out loud! As far as couples go, they were doing pretty well considering the numbers against them. So, what was happening right now was needed for them to remain connected.

And it was fun.

 **Bella's Room - Later**

As the hours passed, Charlie left to get some rest. But Bella already had a nap earlier, so she was still going. Her research had to give them some kind of answer. Her siblings were cursed and she couldn't just give up now. It was two in the morning, before she finally made a break in her case.

"The blood that creates, is the blood that endures…" she frowned as she read it. "… That makes no sense!" she groaned, dropping the notepad she was scribbling on. She dropped down onto her back, she was so exhausted.

But as she was repeating the words over in her head, she began to put it together. She stared at her ceiling, working through it. "No, it can't be-" she doubted it. "There's no way he's that clever!" she widened her eyes, then sat up and grabbed the dagger again. "The blood that creates, is the blood that endures…" she repeated it again. "… Holy shit!" she got it.

Bella grabbed the dagger, and jumped off her bed and over to her door.

 **Bo & Lauren's Room**

Even though Lauren's words of wisdom and her gorgeous body, managed to keep Bo in control; she still couldn't sleep. How could she? She made a stupid decision, and almost cost herself her family. And although Lauren said Ethan was okay, she still had some making up to do.

But in order to do that, she had to sleep. So, she closed her eyes and tried to drop off.

"MOM!"

Bo's eyes shot open, jumping up from the bed as fast as she could with the dagger in hand that she kept under her pillow. Old habits die hard. Also, she and Lauren had gotten into the habit of putting clothes on right after they had their _fun_. "What?! Are you hurt? Is someone in the house?!" she thought the worst.

"No, nothing like that. But, we have a problem!" Bella didn't mean to barge in the way she did, but she just had to tell someone what she'd found. Her Mother told her to explain, "The dagger, it was made with Ronan's blood. I translated some of the markings"

Lauren rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up. "And?"

"Short version?" Bella didn't want to bother them with the entire saying. "His blood created the dagger, and because of what kind of blade it is; it protects him from harm…" they asked her what she meant. "… It's a sacrificial dagger, it's meant to absorb power from whoever it kills. Ronan killed Ethan, Shay, Patrick _and_ Charlie. _Four powerful_ Hybrids. The energy coming off this thing is insane!"

Every time she picked it up she could feel it.

Then Bo thought back to what Ronan said before Ethan killed him. "I remember him saying something. How he didn't need to use it on me, because killing four Hybrids had already juiced it up enough. He planned to do something with the energy"

"Like what?" Lauren wondered.

Then Bella realised, it all made sense now. "He didn't come after us for revenge. Maybe, a part of it was about that but, he _needed_ their power for something else. And since it's a sacrificial blade, then that means he only had one goal at the end of all this. The only time you need to use a sacrificial blade, is when you intend on bring someone back from the dead. That's his plan; _resurrection_ "

Bo couldn't believe this. "Who would he be resurrecting?"

"Someone he lost…" Lauren figured it out first. "… Someone so powerful, that only the energy of four dead Hybrids would be able to bring them back. Someone _ancient_ " she made eyes at Bo, who finally clued on.

"Zee" Bo said.

"That makes sense, she was a God. One Hybrid sacrifice wouldn't be enough to resurrect her, that's why he wanted all of us. It doesn't matter that he didn't get me. Because he's got the power he needed. But, there's also a bright side to this situation" Bella thought it best to let them in on it.

Lauren folded her arms, "Go on"

Bella held the blade before them. "He used his blood to make the dagger. It's what's protecting him, but it's also the only weapon that can kill him. For good. Daggers like these always come with a safeguard. Even if the creator isn't aware of it. As long as we have this, he can't resurrect anyone"

"But if you said he can't die, then he'll be back soon…" Bo said. "… This dagger is the only thing that can bring his Mother back from the dead. He's gonna come for it" she couldn't believe this was all so he could bring Zee back. It couldn't be allowed to happen.

Zee wasn't meant for this world.

"I can reinforce the boundary around the house…" Bella told them. "… No one can get in or out without my say so" it was the only arrow in her quiver right now.

Lauren nodded, "Okay, do that. But, are you sure you have enough strength?" She didn't want her hurting herself. And judging by the unsure look on her daughter's face, Lauren got her answer. "Come on. You can channel me" she took her daughter's hand and led her downstairs.

Given the fact that she'd given birth to five Hybrids, Lauren's DNA had been altered. She wasn't a Succubus, or any kind of Fae really. But she could heal herself, and she was strong. But like her children, she remained half human.

After they left, Bo stood there holding the dagger. As she held it, she could almost feel the power flowing through it from the hilt. The markings along the black steel blade began to shine red. "Clever boy Ronan…" she whispered in the open. "… Try all you will. I dare you"

She'd stop him. She had to. Zee was too dangerous to be let back into this world.

"Mom?"

Bo lifted her head, seeing Ethan in the doorway. She felt a bit weird being alone with him after their fight. "Hey…" she smiled awkwardly. "… Did we wake you?"

Ethan stepped inside the room, "No, I've actually been up a while. Couldn't sleep…" he chuckled. "… Funny, it seems to be the hardest thing to do sometimes" he can't remember a time when he wasn't kept up by something.

"Tell me about it…" she could relate. "… So uh, turns out Ronan might've survived his twelve story fall" she had to tell him. After all, he was the one who killed him.

Well, that wasn't something he was expecting to hear tonight. She explained everything Bella told them, including the part about the dagger being the key to Ronan's destruction. "So, if we stab him with this he goes for good?" He took the blade from his Mother.

"Seems that way" she replied.

Ethan looked at it, feeling something. As he brought it closer to his scar, he noticed the markings were glowing. "You see that?" He got a yes from her. "It's like it knows me"

"Well, it did take your life once already..." She wondered something. "… Maybe there's a way Bella can put _back_ the energy Ronan stole from you. Might be the key to reviving you guys properly" she almost forgot that her children were still half dead.

No Mother should have to utter those words.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't…" Ethan had a few concerns. "… Because I'd love to be able to taste food again. But, maybe we need to give Bella a break. Using all this magic can't be good for her" he worried about his baby sister all the time.

And Bo loved that about him. He took the role of being a big brother very seriously. "I think the only one who can answer that is Bella. Your Mom and I don't want her to overdue it. But if she wants to ease up, ultimately it's her choice"

"But she won't make that choice as long as she thinks there's a problem that needs fixing. Sometimes she needs to have the choice made _for_ her. I just don't want her making herself ill" He sighed.

"Neither do I, which's why I'm gonna keep a close eye on her. Whenever she's taking on too much I'm gonna be there to pull her back a bit. She might be the baby of the family but she's tougher than she looks" Bo didn't worry about Bella.

He nodded, "Yes she is. I just worry, you know?"

Bo smiled, "Yeah, I know. Hey listen, I wanted to apologise for what I said to you last night. It wasn't fair to put you through it. I should've thought about you guys first, I just wanted to fix my mess. I wasn't worried about what would happen to me if I did"

Ethan waved a hand. "Apology accepted, but it's not needed. I told Mom we're cool, and we are…" he gave her a fist bump, then handed the blade back to her. "… I think I'm ready to get some sleep now" he felt like a weight had been lifted.

"One of us should" She muttered as he left the room.

 **Morgue**

Today had been a busy work day.

But finally, Martin's prayers had been answered and he was on his last autopsy of the night. He picked up his clipboard and began reading over the information. "John Doe, early twenties, ruled as a suicide. Says here you fell twelve stories, jeez!" He wasn't prepared for what his face looked like.

The bodies were always covered when they were brought in so Martin hadn't seen his new friend's face yet. "Alright, let's see the damage…" he pulled the sheet back, and he was confused. "… What the hell?"

Laying before him wasn't the body of a man that dropped twelve stories. This John Doe, was completely intact. Nothing was out of place and he had no wounds. "Paperwork must be wrong. Well, it never matters _why_ you ended up here. All that matters is what I find after I'm done" he picked up his scalpel.

Just as he brought it down onto Ronan's chest, his eyes shot open and he grabbed Martin's wrist. "I must say, your bedside manner is horrendous" he started laughing.

"You were dead…" Martin was about to pee himself out of terror. "… You had no pulse!"

"And in about two seconds, neither will you!" Ronan hit Martin with a jolt of powerful electricity. Enough to stop his heart. Once he was dead, Ronan let him go and watched him drop to the floor. "Nothing personal" he jumped off the metal gurney.

Immediately feeling the cold as he was naked. So, he stepped over the dead body and went to the nearest office. In there he found a closet with spare scrubs. It was enough to get him out of here. He grabbed the coroners ID badge, in case he'd need it.

Unfortunately, he had places to be.

Someone had stolen something from him, and he wanted it back.

* * *

 **A/N: You didn't think it'd be that easy, did you? Let me know what you thought!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Just a quick second before you read this chapter. A lot of you have been asking for Part 2 of People Like Us. And don't think I'm not hearing you because I am. And I'm happy to tell you that it is in progress. Any stories I've left open for the possibility of a sequel, rest assured they will be concluded. I don't want to promise you something and then not deliver, that's not how I'm wired unfortunately.**

 **It's a blessing and a curse sometimes. Lol.**

 **Anyway, moving on in this Fic now. Hope you enjoy this one.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Revival**

 **Dennis Household**

Once Bella was done with the boundary around the house, she felt herself becoming very dizzy. So much so, that her Mother had her sit down on the couch for a few minutes. "Mom, I'm fine. I promise" her worry wasn't needed.

Lauren wasn't so sure though, "Your nose is bleeding Bella…" she wiped under her daughter's nose with a tissue, "… That's the opposite of fine. Head back please" she made her hold the tissue over her nose and squeezed it until the bleeding stopped.

"Spells have side effects. It's common for a Sorceress" Bella was used to it now.

With her other children, Lauren didn't have to see this. With Ethan and Shay, they'd get hurt and they'd die but they'd always come back. And Charlie and Patrick actually didn't get into many fights. But Bella, was different. Her body would weaken when she used her magic.

Lauren had been in the Fae world long enough to know how bad it could get. She didn't want that for her baby girl. "Well, whatever it is; I don't like seeing you this way. You need to dial it back a bit sweetie"

"I don't have time to dial it back, you guys need my magic" Bella knew her importance, she was meant to fix problems with her powers.

"Maybe, but we need _you_ a hell of a lot more!" Lauren didn't want her thinking that she was just around to clean up magical messes. "Hey? This isn't a discussion. I want you to be okay"

Bella pulled he tissue away from her nose and looked at her Mother. "I'll be okay, when Ronan's gone for good and our Family's safe. I wish you'd believe in me a little more, and stop seeing me as a baby…" she got up from the couch. "… Because I'm not one anymore" she walked to the stairs and up to her room.

Lauren wanted to go after her, knowing she'd hurt her feelings by smothering her. Was it a crime to want her children to be safe? "Wonderful" this was all they needed right now.

"Lauren?" Bo came down the stairs. Wondering where her Wife had gone to. "Hey. So, Bella just shut her bedroom door pretty hard, and all this time I thought she was the mellow child…" she sat down next to Lauren with a chuckle, noticing the bloody tissue on the coffee table. "… I guess Ethan's concern for her was well placed"

She figured it had to have been from Bella. Those spells took their toll on her.

Rubbing her eyes, Lauren nodded. "She's mad at me…" she said. "… She said I treat her like a baby too much. Do I?" She gave Bo a frown. "Am I really being unsupportive of her? I just want her to be healthy and happy"

"Of course you do, that's what all Parents want for their kids…" Bo placed Ronan's dagger on the coffee table, then scooted closer to Lauren. "… To this day, I still think of Ethan as a toddler. Running around, begging me for a bedtime story at the end of the night. It's normal"

"Normal huh?" Lauren let out a laugh. "How is any of this normal?" She asked. "A few months ago, everything was fine. We were fine. The kids were happy, they were safe. And now, everything's-"

"Fractured" Bo finished for her.

Lauren locked eyes with her, "Exactly…" she couldn't think of a better word. "… Our children are still cursed. Ronan is still out there. If he get the dagger back, and resurrects Zee-" she couldn't finish her sentence. She didn't want to think about the outcome of that problem.

Even though Bo herself had her own fears, she couldn't let Lauren fall apart. Because if she could fall apart, what hope was there for her? "He won't…" she told her. "… I won't let him"

"I need all this to go away Bo…" Lauren couldn't do this anymore. "… For over two decades, we've been fighting. For our freedom, for our relationship, and for our kids. It has to end. There's gotta be more to life than this" she wanted an easy life.

Was that too much to ask for?

"If there is, we'll find it together…" Bo pulled Lauren into her arms, hugging her. "… Ronan didn't think his plan through. This's our Family-our life. And we're not just any people. We're Bo and Lauren"

That made Lauren frown. "What's so great about us?"

"We've overcome a lot of crap in our lives…" Bo said. "… All that pain, heartbreak, and suffering. I refuse to believe it's all for nothing. We'll beat this, I promise"

"I should go talk to Bella, I can't stand her being mad at me-" Lauren was about to get up and go to the stairs when she heard a hammering sound come from the front door. "Expecting someone?" It was a peculiar hour for visitors.

Bo shook her head, "No, you?" Her Wife replied the same. She grabbed the black dagger, noticing how the marking were shinning red. As she was holding it, it was almost tugging her towards the front door.

She had a feeling she knew who it was. Going to the door, she opened it to see Ronan standing there in medical scrubs. "I was wondering when you were gonna show up"

"Well, you did steal something very important to me…" he looked at the dagger in her hand. "… That's mine. Hand it over"

"Nope!" Bo shook her head. Ronan attempted to enter the house, but was thrown back by Bella's boundary. "Courtesy of my darling daughter. You're wasting your time Ronan, you won't be getting the dagger back. I know what you were planning to do. And I'll be damned, if I'm gonna let you bring back your Mother"

Ronan got up, dusting himself off. "Why? Worried what'll happen to you when she finally gets her revenge for what you did?" He laughed. "I'll get the dagger back one way or another, and when I do; you're gonna wish you never crossed my family" he turned around and left.

Bo took a breath, closing the door. "See, piece of cake" she gave Lauren a smile.

"Hilarious…" Lauren replied, not caring for the joke. "… Thank god the boundary's up. Which reminds me, I'm gonna speak to Bella and apologise. What if he comes back?" She wondered.

"Doesn't matter if he does; he can't come in…" Bo approached her, "… If he _does_ end up coming back, then it'll be because he's found a way to break the boundary. Let's hope that'll take him a while" she could use a break.

Lauren hoped for the same, "You need to get some sleep, we all do. Head back upstairs, I'll talk to Bella and be right behind you" she gave her a kiss on the cheek, then walked upstairs with Bo following closely behind.

 **Bella's Room**

With the conversation she had with her Mother, Bella wasn't really up for talking to anyone. But that hope was short lived when she heard someone knock on her door. She didn't tell them they could come in, but they tried anyway. So, she sat up on her bed and raised her hand to the door, using her magic to keep it closed.

"Bella?" Lauren spoke through the door, trying open it again. "Come on, just let me in. I want to apologise. Sweetie, I'm sorry. Okay? So, can you let me in please?"

Her Mother's voice sounded so sincere. So, Bella dropped her hand and her Mother almost fell through the door because of the resistance. "Should I apologise for that?" She didn't know if she was supposed to stay mad.

Lauren composed herself, smiling. "No, it's okay. I deserved it. Listen sweetie, I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. You're right, I do treat you like a baby. And I'm sorry. It's just, you're my little girl. I worry about you the most, I can't help it. But, don't think for a second I don't believe in you…" she didn't want her thinking that. "… Because I do"

Bella sat on her bed with her legs crossed. "Really?"

Sitting next to her, Lauren nodded. "Of course I do. I've seen your siblings do a lot of extraordinary things. And yes, they're powerful. But Bella, _you_ ; are going to be the strongest Hybrid the Fae world has ever seen. Your magic makes you powerful beyond belief" she really did think that.

"But, I thought Ethan was the strongest" Bella always thought that was how it went.

"Ethan's the _oldest_ , and yeah; he's strong. But he can't do what you can do, none of your siblings can. That's what makes you special…" Lauren kissed her forehead. "… I will _always_ believe in you sweetie. And I am so proud of everything you've already achieved. You're gonna go far, I know it"

Bella smiled. Okay, that was a pretty good speech. "Thanks Mom. And I know you said you didn't need an apology but, I'm sorry for holding the door" she could never be mad at her Mother for too long.

Lauren loved Bella's compassion, she was the sweetest girl. She knew from the second she was born, that Bella was going to be different. But she meant that in the best way possible. "Apology accepted. Now, you've done a lot today. So, I want you to get some sleep. Okay?"

Obliging, Bella quickly changed into some sweats and jumped into bed. "Hey Mom?" She waited for her Mother to stop and turn to her before she left the room. "Everything's gonna be okay, right?" She couldn't help but doubt herself.

Wanting to give her hope, Lauren nodded. "Everything's gonna be okay…" she had to tell her that. She didn't want to scare her. "… Goodnight sweetie" she flipped the light switch and left the room.

 **Basement – Later**

It was almost midday, and Bo thought it best to keep herself feeling strong. So, when she woke up she went straight for the basement where they kept their little fighting ring. She trained her children one by one, from a young age to give them an advantage. She was never prepared for this world by her true Parents, because she grew up living a lie.

She didn't want that for her children. She wanted them to be prepared for any kind of battle or attack. About an hour into her sole sparring session, she was interrupted while she was hitting the heavy bag. It was Ethan, and he was less than pleased that she didn't tell him about Ronan's short visit earlier this morning.

Instead of starting another argument, she just told him the truth. "I would've, but you were in bed. And besides, he can't get in the house so long as Bella's spell holds up. Once he saw that, he left" she continued hitting the bag.

"Doesn't mean he won't come back" Ethan was always paranoid. Like Shay. It just came with the territory in this family.

"If he does, we'll be ready for him…" Bo struck the bag once more, then turned to him, breathing deeply. "… Bella's sure that the dagger is the key to killing him. As long as we have it, he's got nothing" she was feeling pretty confident.

But Ethan wasn't. "Since when is it ever that easy?" It never was in his experience. "And speaking as someone who's already fought him once, and _died_ ; he's packing some serious firepower. His lightening stings like a bitch" he could still feel it.

Bo remembered seeing it in Bella's memory. "I know, Zee used it on me once…" she remembered those days too. "… Although, I didn't have the benefit of healing instantly. You should be thankful for that" she envied that sometimes.

Though, the way she healed was fun. And ever so satisfying. Thanks to her drop dead gorgeous Wife.

Ethan turned to his right, seeing a wooden rack of swords. "I am thankful. To you, and to Mom. I mean, without you guys we wouldn't have this power…" he lifted one of them from the shelf. "… Speaking of power; feel like taking me on?" He raised an eyebrow.

Facing him, Bo laughed. His expression was priceless. "Is that confidence I hear in your voice, _son_?" She unwrapped the tape from her hands. He shrugged. "Hey, don't forget who made you"

He made a face, "Okay, gross!" He didn't want to think about that image. Like, ever. "And, if you think I'm all talk, then why don't you prove me wrong? What's it gonna hurt?"

"Well, your ego; for one thing…" she replied. "… Especially when I knock you on your ass. Or are you also forgetting who taught you how to fight?"

Shaking his head, he threw the sword at her and watched her catch the hilt in her hand. "I didn't forget…" he grabbed another sword. "… But, for arguments sake why don't you refresh my memory?" He stepped in the middle of the room,

Bo joined him, holding the handle tight. "Since your already technically dead, I won't be holding back" she didn't think it was necessary.

"Wouldn't have it any other way" he smirked.

They began to spar with each other. Ethan was fast, but not as fast as Bo. In the head space she was in right now, she felt like she couldn't give up. On anything. Not even this little work out. She was going to do whatever it took to come out on top.

Just as she was about to bring her sword down hard, he rolled out of the way. She spun the sword in her hand, thinking of her next move. But he was charging at her at full speed so she didn't have a chance. As he was moving forward, Bo dropped to her knees and made a clean slash over her son's abdomen.

Ethan stood still, looking down at the blood seeping through his tank top. He wasn't bothered. Upon lifting the hem of his vest, he saw the wound close up. "If I was a normal Fae my intestines would've spilled out" that wasn't an exaggeration.

"Lucky for me you're not" Bo knew how much her kids could take when sparring. She didn't like hurting them, but sometimes accidents happened. Plus, they didn't care either. Since they healed within seconds.

Wanting to clean the blood, Ethan pulled off his tank top and wiped his abdomen clean.

"Oooh!" Shay walked down the stairs, "He's lost the tank, you know what that means!" She loved watching her family spar with each other, she made good money betting on this.

Bo and Ethan laughed. One of Ethan's things was whenever he took his shirt off while fighting, it meant he wasn't playing around anymore. Showing off his washboard abs was his way of asserting himself.

"I'm just cleaning the blood" he told his sister.

Shay hummed. "So I see, nice one Mom. It's good for the favourite Prince to be knocked off his high horse every once and while. You're making the rest of us look bad" she hated that Ethan excelled at everything. It was annoying.

Ethan shook his head with a laugh, "Not the rest of them; just you" he gave his little sister wink. He loved taunting her.

And Bo loved it even more, when she got to watch her children fight each other. It made her proud to see them using the very skills she'd spent years teaching them. "Whoa! You're not gonna take that kind of smack, are you?" She looked at Shay.

Getting Shay annoyed was one thing. But it was a small leap from annoyed to angry. Shay was very easily coerced. It didn't take much to set her off.

Shay didn't understand what she was supposed to do. "What? You think I should fight him?" She needed clarification.

Bo shrugged, "Why not? I've already won this round, why don't you take the next one? Show the _Prince_ a thing or two about fighting. Unless, you don't think you can beat him?"

"Please!" Shay laughed. "All I gotta do is get my hands on him. And the victory will be mine after a brief snapping of his neck" that was her favourite way to kill people.

Well, one of them. It always changed.

Ethan held up a finger. "Nuh uh! No neck snapping!" He hated that. "Every time I wake up, I have a kink in my neck that no amount of massaging can fix! We stick to swords" he made it clear.

"Oh my god, you're such a buzzkill!" Shay groaned. "Fine. Don't come crying to me when I stab you in the heart and then when you wake up, _you're_ the one who's gotta mop the blood off the floor!" She wasn't a cleaner.

But Ethan didn't mind. "I will take that chore over a stiff neck any day!" He spun the sword in his hand. "So, what'd you say _baby_ sister? You ready?"

Bo stood away from them, ready to take it all in.

"Born ready, _old man_!" Shay chuckled, grasping the sword handle tight and pushing off the floor.

She leaped over to her brother, coming down hard with the sharp tip of her sword. She would've got him, except he was fast and stepped to the right. The clang of her sword hitting the floor rang in her ears.

Ethan took the opportunity presented in front of him. With a forceful kick to his sister's back as she was turned; she stumbled into the far wall.

"Come on Shay, I didn't go through two years of training with you for nothing! Show him who's boss!" Bo clapped her hands, cheering them on.

Shay loved fighting, she felt at peace with it. She twirled the sword in her hands, showing him her tricks. He may be older and stronger, but she was good with a blade. "I'm gonna kick your ass big brother" she warned him.

"So, what're you waiting for?" All he heard was talk.

And that pissed her off, she struck him with her sword. He dodged it. But as he was about to turn around, she backflipped over his head, kicked the back of his legs and as he dropped to his knees she brought her sword to his neck.

"That's my girl!" Bo clapped her hands, so proud of what she witnessed.

Though, Ethan wasn't easily bested. So while his sister was eating up the praise their Mother was providing; he took Shay's wrist and twisted it, hearing her groan. Then pulled with all his strength, flipping her over him and onto her back, where he placed his and her discarded sword crossed together under her chin.

"Most important rule baby sister; _never_ take your eyes off your opponent…" he chuckled, glancing at the overlapping blades. "… One move, and off rolls your head" they were like mega garden shears.

Shay huffed, "Can't you let me win once?" She never got to win. He was always the golden child.

"What's the fun in that?" Ethan knew it was all in good fun. But if she couldn't beat him, he wasn't going to make it easy for her. He pulled the swords away, holding both the hilts in his left hand while he held his sister up with his right. "For the record, you don't need to beat me to prove you're strong"

"I don't?" Shay frowned. "Are you sure, because that doesn't sound right" victory in battle always made the winner seem unstoppable. And feared.

Ethan shook his head, "Trust me. You're just as strong as me. And one day, I have every confidence you'll knock me on my ass. When that day comes, there'll be no hard feelings sis. I'll love you just the same" he winked at her.

"Damn, you make it so hard to hate you bro…" Shay chuckled, giving him a fist bump. "… I can't wait for that day to come though" she'd be ready.

Bo couldn't help but smile at their interaction. Ethan was the anchor in this family. Without him they'd be doomed. Whenever she and Lauren couldn't get Shay to listen, Ethan always managed to get through to her. "Alright! Enough sparring for today. Go get yourselves cleaned up" she watched them run off upstairs.

 **Living Room**

As Bo was entering the living room, she saw Shay, Ethan and Patrick in deep conversation with Bella and Lauren. "Something wrong? Or did you call a family meeting without me?" she chuckled, knowing that would be a joke.

"Bella thinks she might be able to use the dagger to revive them properly…" Lauren replied. "… No more walking corpses around the house" she for one, was very happy about the new development.

Shay cleared her throat, " _Hot_ , walking corpses!" she corrected her Mother. Dead or not, she still had it going on. She wasn't ashamed to admit that. "So, are we doing this then or what? You have no idea how much I miss the taste of ice cream!" she just wanted to eat something and not have it taste like garbage.

Bella was a little unsure of herself now, she read one of her Grandfather's old magic books. And it told her all about releasing an essence of any kind from a vessel. That's all this was. The dagger was a vessel. Which Ronan intended to use to fuel his sacrificial ritual to bring his Mother back. "Don't bet on me just yet, it's not like I've done this before"

Patrick nudged her gently, "You'll do great" he winked at her. He'd never admitted it before, but his little sister was a force to be reckoned with.

"So, how does it work?" Ethan wondered. "Do we have to get in another circle?" he was tired of being stuck in those.

Bella shook her head, "Actually, it should be pretty straight forward. I need access to your scars…" she approached Ethan first, he already had his shirt off so it was easier. She placed the tip of the dagger on his scar, closed her eyes and whispered a few words in a dead language. Suddenly, the markings on the dagger began to shine bright.

Brighter than they'd ever shined.

Ethan wasn't prepared for how it ended. The dagger shot a jolt of energy into his scar, and he took a sharp intake of breath. Within seconds, colour returned to his cheeks and his scar began to heal.

Opening her eyes, Bella stepped away from him. "… How'd you feel?" she hoped she did it right. This was all new to her.

He laughed, touching his chest. His scar had gone. "I feel good; I feel alive!" he couldn't explain it, but before he just felt strange. Like he was frozen in a moment, and he couldn't move forward.

Now, he felt like he had energy again. "Hang on!" he had to test it, so he ran to the kitchen and grabbed a can of soda out of the fridge. He began drinking it, and started laughing. "I have a new appreciation for soda"

"So, it tastes normal?" Lauren asked, he nodded. "It worked. You revived him!" she turned to her youngest. She was going to be unstoppable the more she grew into her power.

"Me next!" Shay called dibs. There was a carton of cookie dough ice cream in the freezer with her name on it.

Bella revived Shay, and then Patrick. And after all the essence from the dagger was gone, she felt like it had no power. When she would pick it up before, she could feel the energy radiating off of it. But now, it felt empty. "Ronan's not gonna be happy when he finds out what I've done"

Bo placed both hands on her daughter's shoulders. "You don't have to worry about him sweetie. He can't get in the house, so he can't hurt you. So, without their deaths fuelling the dagger; he can't use it to bring Zee back, right?" she needed clarification.

"Right!" Bella nodded. "Technically, the dagger is still powerful enough to kill a Hybrid. But if he tried to use it to power a resurrection ritual, it would fail. Without a sacrifice, the dagger's useless to him" in their hands it was safe.

"But we can still use it to kill _him_ though, can't we?" Shay said. She wanted her revenge. "I mean, we're not just gonna hide away in here forever, are we?" she wasn't that kind of person.

Bo shook her head, "Hell no! We're Dennis', we don't run away from a fight…" she noticed the look Lauren gave her. "… But we _do_ approach them with caution. Better?" she didn't want to pick a fight with her over a poor choice of words.

Lauren smiled, "Much" it was a nice save.

Before anyone could say anything else, they heard rummaging coming from their left. Turning their heads, they saw Patrick stuffing his face with chips, candy, and anything else he could fit in there. "What?" he answered with his mouth full. "I've got a lot of catching up to do"

Noticing the glance that Bo was giving Lauren, she had an answer ready to go. "Don't look at me! He's _your_ son!" she wasn't getting the blame for his bad manners.

Just another normal day in the Dennis Household.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay! Happy times for the Dennis Clan, but will it last? Give me your thoughts.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Next One!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: The Bargaining Chip**

 **Dennis Household**

With her kids finally feeling like themselves again, Bo thought it best to have a little one on one time with her Wife. Since their children were basically grown, now was the perfect time for them to steal some moments.

Though, Bo would be lying if she didn't say she missed having her children as babies. They were so cute at that age, and they listened to her too. A quality they'd grown out of now.

Ethan had stepped out to be with Kayla at the Dal, that place was covered head to toe in protective charms. Trick was always paranoid. And Shay was in the middle of a video call with Sasha. Who was still holding a grudge, since her Girlfriend lied to her.

She definitely took after Tamsin like that.

Valkyries were mean when they were mad.

Patrick was in his room, overdosing on candy and chips while losing himself in his stupid video games. And Bella—well, she was doing whatever it was that she did when she was alone in her room. Out of all their kids, she took her privacy very seriously.

Lauren was just folding her newly laundered clothes, and putting them away in her dresser when she felt Bo's arms encircle her waist. "Let me guess, you want some _Wife_ time?" They'd always used that term in front of the kids since talking about that subject always grossed them out.

"Well, I wouldn't say no. Last night was certainly fun…" Bo kissed the back of her neck. "… And just to be clear, I _always_ want Wife time with you. Decades pass and you're still the only girl on my mind" she whispered in her ear.

That was always a good way to get Lauren in the mood. "If you're trying to get into my pants by wooing me…" she spun around in her arms. "… It's working!" She captured her lips, linking both arms around Bo's neck.

They hadn't had any time together since they got back from their trip. The whole point of taking that trip was to do things for themselves for once. And they did; they took all the time they needed. But they could never get enough of each other.

Eternity wasn't even enough.

Bo moved her right hand under her Wife's left thigh, lifting it up as they continued to kiss passionately. And she was just about to get to the good part, slipping her left hand into the front of Lauren's jeans.

"AAHHH! MY EYES!"

Shay had managed to scar herself for life by interrupting them. Her Parents pulled apart, yelling at her for barging in. "I'm sorry…" she thought back to something her Mother once told her. "… Weren't you the one who said your door's _always_ open?!" She covered her eyes.

That image was burned into her brain.

"Yes, but I always told you to knock first!" Lauren composed herself, she'd just started to get excited. That would've been good if Shay hadn't ruined it.

Bo was trying to calm down, her inner Succubus was right on the edge. "You can open your eyes now!" She told her. "Oh grow up! I've found you and Sasha in much worse positions!" She'd tried to black those nights out.

Shay dropped her hands, turning to her Mother. "Exactly. So, how about _you_ educate yourselves about our _knocking_ policy? Look, I didn't come here to argue—and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need electric shock therapy after today, but I just came to tell you, that Bella and Patrick and fighting downstairs"

"What?!" Lauren widened her eyes. "Why didn't you start with that?!" She ran passed her daughter and down the stairs.

"Well, I was a little busy!" Shay replied. "You know, having seen you guys doing the deed! Honestly, they might've killed each other already" she started laughing.

Bo wasn't amused. "You think it's funny huh?" She _really_ wasn't amused. "You won't be, when I'm done with you. Let's take a walk!" She grabbed Shay's arm tight, pulling her towards all the yelling that was happening downstairs.

 **Living Room**

Just as Lauren jumped off the bottom step of the stairs, she saw Bella and Patrick screaming at each other. And Bella got so angry that she threw him across the room with her powers. "ENOUGH!" She stood between them. "Both of you!" She stopped Patrick from taking revenge. "What the hell's going on?!"

Both of them remained silent.

Until Bo entered the room, letting go of Shay. "Hey? You two?" She looked at them both. "Your Mother asked you a question. Answers, now!" She demanded an explanation.

"Go ahead Bella…" Patrick wasn't in the wrong here. "… Tell them!" And he wanted his Parents to back him up.

Lauren looked at her little girl, she could see Bella was getting upset about this. So she was going to try a softer approach. "Honey?" She approached her slowly. "Please, tell us what's going on"

"I have a Boyfriend!" Bella answered. "Are you happy now?!" She glanced at her brother.

So many thoughts ran through everyone's minds. For Lauren, it was shock that her little girl hadn't told her sooner. For Patrick, it was something much more sinister. Because he knew more about Bella's boyfriend.

For Shay and Bo, their thoughts were aligned. They were very overprotective. And wanted to find her boyfriend, and kill him.

"I'm sorry. You have a, _what now_?" Shay didn't know if she heard that properly.

Bo had trouble processing it. "Uh, okay…" she laughed nervously. "… No, you can't have a Boyfriend. You're still a baby!" Maybe not really, but to her she was. She was her youngest. "I haven't even had _the_ _talk_ with you yet" she'd been putting it off.

But Bella was one step ahead of her. "Charlie already told me everything" she didn't want to put her sister in the dog house, but she was going to tell the truth.

"Charlie?" Bo raised both her eyebrows. " _Charlie_ had the—" she was seething right now. "She had _no_ right to do that!" She turned around, breathing through it. "So have you uh-" she couldn't bring herself to say it. "Have you umm—" she _really_ couldn't say it.

"Not that it's anyone's business, but no…" Bella replied. "… I haven't" she knew what her Mother was thinking. And she hadn't taken that step yet.

Bo placed a hand over her heart, "Oh thank god!" She felt it racing.

Patrick hadn't finished his point. "Isn't there something _else_ you wanna reveal Bella?" He asked her, getting a glare. "Like maybe, _how_ you met this mysterious Boyfriend we never knew about?" He made eyes at her. "If you don't tell them; I will"

Shay stepped forward, putting an arm around her sister's shoulders. "Tell us what, Bell?" She didn't want to argue with her, or pressure her. "Come on, you can tell us anything. We won't judge—" she glanced at Bo who was still scowling. "Well, _she_ will. But, the rest of us won't. I promise"

Bella took a deep breath, "His name's Parker, and he's a Vampire…" she didn't know what was going to come of this. "… I didn't meet him in our normal social circle. He actually uh—" she had trouble finding the words. "He uh—"

"He works for Ronan!" Patrick finished for her.

Bo, Lauren, and Shay, gasped. How could she be dating someone who works for the very person who wants them all dead? Was Bella the reason they were able to get so much good intel on them?

"He _what_?" Bo asked, as calmly as she could right now. "Bella, I want you answer me honestly…" she took steps towards her. "… Did he promise you anything, in exchange for information about this Family?" She had to rule it out.

Bella frowned at her. "You think I'm stupid?" She didn't know any other way to take this. "I'd _never_ do, or say anything that would put our Family at risk! I've been busting my ass, trying to find a way to fix everything. It might be hard for you guys to believe; but Parker _actually_ likes me! He's never asked me anything about you. He's not like that!" She ran away; going to her room.

Lauren stared at Bo, she heard the way she said that. And Bella could've only taken it one way. That she wasn't good enough for anyone to like her, for _her_. "Nicely done Bo! Way to make her feel shitty about herself" she ran after Bella.

Shay and Bo stood there silently, not knowing what to say. But they were interrupted by a snickering coming from Patrick.

"Well, I guess it's true what they say…" he said. "… They always go for the weakest of the heard" he continued to laugh.

And that didn't sit well with them, so Shay looked at her Mother for approval to put him in his place. And with a small nod from her; she had it. So, Shay stomped as hard as she could on her little brother's foot. The next few seconds were filled with cries as he dropped to his ass, holding his injured foot.

"Watch your mouth, _little_ brother!" Shay wasn't going to have him laugh at Bella's expense. She grabbed his shirt, pulling him up to stand. "When Mom calms Bella down, _you_ are going to apologise to her. Are we clear?!" She shouted in his face.

Patrick hated being told off, but he knew he kind of deserved it. "Yes"

Bo was beating herself up too. She handled it all wrong. But she'd never laugh at her daughter's struggle. What Patrick did was wrong, and mean. And when he apologised to Bo, she shook her head. "I don't wanna hear it. Go to your room!" She waited for him to limp away.

"So, what'd we do about this?" Shay asked her.

Sighing; Bo shrugged. "I dunno Shay. I'd like to give this Parker guy, the benefit of the doubt. But when it comes to Ronan, I can't trust anyone. And there's also the fact that he's a Vampire. Their kind doesn't have the best track record when it comes to loyalty" she'd known a few in her day.

And they were all tools.

To be honest Shay didn't have the best run ins with them either. "I don't like it Mom…" she admitted. "… I mean, maybe he's a stand-up guy and really likes her. But, with our Family's luck? I don't know if I'd put faith in the former" they had the worst luck.

"We're not gonna do anything yet…" Bo said. "… First, we need Bella to calm down. If she gets mad; she might create a black hole somewhere. And second, we're not gonna tell Ethan about this!" She made that clear.

Shay nodded, she could do that. That was actually an important one. "Yeah, last thing we need is for big brother to hunt the poor blood sucker down before we know all the facts" Ethan was even more overprotective than her and Bo.

And he and Bella had that sibling bond.

 **Clinic**

With the news of her siblings being revived, Charlie was okay to stay with her Grandfather for the night. She didn't want to leave his side until he was walking again. Which would be soon if he got more rest, but he was insistent on staying awake. "Come on Gramps! A little shut eye never hurt anyone"

Trick sat up in his bed, "I'm done sleeping, Charlie!" He loved that she cared about him, but he wasn't a day sleeper. He was always doing something. "I feel like I'm going crazy in here" he wanted to go back to his bar.

"I get that, but Mom said you've gotta rest…" Charlie plumped up his pillows. "… Now, I'm gonna head to the cafeteria to grab a coffee. Want me to get you anything?"

"Yes, I'll take a cup of coffee if you wouldn't mind. These people, refuse to give me one" he wasn't happy about that.

Charlie laughed, he was always so stubborn. "That's because they're under Mom's orders. Your heart almost gave out when we tried to bring the others back. So, heart problems equal _no_ caffeine. Not until you're better" she wasn't going against her Mother's wishes.

Trick sighed, "Then what do you propose I drink? I cannot take another sip of this ice water!" He pushed the plastic pitcher away from him. "I'll be bleeding water before long! Just get me something with a _taste_!" He was going out his mind.

"You got it!" She promised, then left him to stew.

While waiting for his Granddaughter to return, Trick went through all the magazines he had near him. They were all so trashy. He couldn't stand the modern world, the old days had so much class. He decided to take Charlie's advice, and rest. So, he sat back and closed his eyes.

A few minutes into his relaxation, he heard footsteps approach him. "I hope you know me well enough to have gotten me some jello" he opened his eyes with a smile, thinking it would be Charlie he would see.

But it wasn't.

"Sadly, no…" Ronan smiled. "… But I do know _Bo_ well enough to know that she cares about you. After all, you're her Grandfather. The man that took her under his wing. See, your Granddaughter has something of mine, so _I'm_ taking something of hers. I'm hoping it'll motivate her" he had a plan to get his dagger back.

Trick wasn't scared though. "So, you're Ronan?" The young man nodded. "Surely, you know that taking me won't get you what you want. Bo may love me, but we've had this conversation before. She knows where I stand on the matter" he was prepared.

"Oh? And where do you stand?" He asked, humouring him.

Trying his best to sit up, Trick locked eyes with him. "If anyone ever uses me to blackmail her, she's under strict orders to let me go. So, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, you won't be getting what you want by taking me" he smiled at him.

That was his and Bo's deal. She didn't like it, and outright refused at first. But in the end, she knew it was the only way.

Ronan laughed. "Who said anything about taking _you_?" He never once uttered those words. "Oh, Tricky! You didn't think you were actually that important, did you?" He tapped his arm, feeling sad for him. "Holding you hostage gives me no leverage. Sure, Bo loves you. But, does she love you more than her own daughter?" He snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, two men walked into the room. Holding an unconscious Charlie by her arms.

"NO!" Trick tried to get up, but Ronan held him down. The pain his body was experiencing was bad. "Take _me_! You can kill me, do whatever you want; just _don't_ hurt her!" Anything but his Granddaughter.

Ronan smirked, "See, this's the problem with you people…" he said. "… You care too much. And as long as you do, you will _always_ be weak! Tell Bo, I want my dagger back. If she doesn't hand it over, the next one to die will be Charlie. She may be a Hybrid, but unlike Ethan and Shay; _she_ can't cheat death"

"Please, don't do this!" Trick begged.

"I hope you're not trying to appeal to my merciful side…" Ronan hated the use of the word. "… Because I don't have one. I want what's mine, make sure she gets the message" he sent a little shock through Trick's brain, just enough to put him to sleep.

After that, Ronan led his men out of the room and to the foyer. He'd killed everyone on his way in. He wasn't playing around anymore. And just to get the ball rolling quicker, he smashed the emergency panic button under the reception desk. That should make some noise.

If Bo wanted her daughter back, then she'd return what's his.

 **Dennis Household**

Lauren had been trying for the better part of fifteen minutes to try and get into Bella's room. But like before, her daughter was using magic to keep her out. "Sweetie, come on! I just wanna talk! I'm not here to judge you. I just—" she stopped when she heard a loud alarm coming from her front pocket. She lifted her phone from her jeans and saw the flashing red sign. "Oh god!"

Sensing the fear, Bella opened her door. "What's wrong?"

"It's the Clinic, something's happened!" Lauren turned around and hightailed it down the stairs. Bo and Shay both asked her why she was so frantic. "Someone tripped the emergency alarm at the Clinic. No one does that unless it's bad" she slipped her boots on and grabbed her coat.

"How bad are we talking here?" Shay asked.

Lauren couldn't really give a specific answer, but only two words came to mind. " _Armageddon_ _bad_ "

Bo got her shoes and jacket too. "I'm coming with you! Shay?" She needed someone to stay here. " _Do not_ leave this house. Protect your brother and sister, and most importantly; don't let that dagger out of your sight! For all we know, this could be a diversion set up by Ronan" she didn't like it.

"Don't worry Mom, I won't let him near it…" Shay promised. "… The only way he's gonna get it, is when I've driven it through his heart!" She wasn't letting him win.

Giving her a wink, Bo tapped her shoulder. "That's my girl. Call Ethan, tell him to meet us at the Clinic. We might need Hybrid back up" she wasn't ashamed to admit when she needed a helping hand.

Her kids were awesome.

She loved it.

Shay nodded, "I'm on it. Just go!" She watched them run out of the house, then shot off a text to her brother. She knew he'd check it. No call or text went unanswered in this family.

 **Clinic – Later**

By the time Bo and Lauren arrived, the alarm was still blaring. They didn't have time to mourn the dead people around them. Lauren worked her way around the bodies, and went to the electrical panel behind the reception desk. She punched her code in, and swiped her access card. When the panel opened, she disabled the alarm.

"They're dead!" She couldn't believe it. "They're all dead!" what was she supposed to tell their families? "Why would he do this?" She didn't understand.

"Trick!" Bo realised, she had what Ronan wanted. Of course, he would take Trick as leverage. But she and Trick made a deal years ago, that if he was ever used to blackmail her, that she had to refuse. She didn't want to agree to it, but Trick made some very convincing arguments.

They both ran to the second floor, getting to Trick's room as fast as they could. They expected to find an empty bed; and a note from Ronan stating his demands. But instead, they found Trick out cold in bed. "Trick?" Bo shook him gently.

"Charlie!" He jolted awake. Laying his eyes on Bo and Lauren. "He came here. Ronan…" he said. "… He took her, I'm so sorry Bo!"

Lauren let out a devastating breath, "No! No, not again!" She covered her mouth with her hands. Not believing it to be true. "I can't believe this is happening!" She turned away, only to run into her son. "He took her; he took Charlie!" She fell into his arms.

Ethan hugged his Mother, feeling nothing but rage. But he knew he had to keep a cool head. Otherwise they were never going to get anything done. "It's okay…" he let her cry. "… He won't hurt her; he needs her"

Bo wanted to break, but she wasn't going to let herself. "Trick? Did he say anything to you?" She wanted to know everything.

"He said taking me wouldn't motivate you enough, that's why he's taken Charlie…" He replied. "… He said he wants the dagger back, and if he doesn't get it she'll die. I looked in his eyes Bo. There's nothing there, but darkness. He has a dead soul" only the evilest of people had that look.

"Yeah, and pretty soon his body's gonna catch up to it. I'm gonna find him and get Charlie back, and when I do…" Bo glanced at her broken Wife, still crying into their son's arms. Ronan had caused them so much pain, it had to end. "… I'm gonna destroy him"

It was on.

 **Ronan's Hideout**

With his Penthouse compromised, Ronan couldn't go back there. Let alone, take Charlie there. Bo would come for her soon enough. Charlie was the easiest Hybrid to subdue, being that her abilities were in her blood. Yes, she was strong, and fast. But not as fast as her other siblings. So, as long as her hands were tied, she couldn't do anything.

Ronan brought her to his second hideout. He knew it wouldn't be long until Bo found a way to locate her. So, he hadn't made himself impossible to find. He kept Charlie bound and gagged in a chair while he got some things ready for his ritual. Once he had his dagger, he would proceed with his plans.

He was in the middle of going over the incantation he'd acquired from a Shaman, when he heard an annoying sound coming from behind him. "Will you please, _shut up_!" he slammed his hand down on the table, then spun around. Charlie was constantly making noises; her mouth was gagged so it was muffled. "Scream all you want Princess, no one's gonna hear you!"

She just kept annoying him. So, he removed the gag. No one could hear her anyway. "You really must be stupid if you think my Mom's gonna hand over that dagger. She knows I can take care of myself, she'll never give in to your demands"

"Actually, I think she will…" Ronan replied. "… See, she's got something important to me. And I've got you, and everyone knows how much a Mother loves her child. A sentiment I never got to experience, thanks to _your_ Mother" he never got to spend much time with his Mother.

"You keep saying that, but was my Mom _really_ to blame?" Charlie had been thinking about it the whole time. "All she did was make your Mom leave the city. She didn't kill her. Whatever happened after she got banished, wasn't my Mom's fault!"

Ronan kicked a table over in anger, "YES IT WAS!" he screamed at her. "My life? Everything that followed after my Mom was banished, was because of _Bo's_ decision! Who made her worthy of calling the shots? Hmm? What makes _her_ so special?!" he never got a clear answer.

Charlie didn't know if she could answer that, but she was going to try. "I dunno, I'm not really into labels. But I do know one thing…" she was going to enlighten him. "… My Mom, stands for justice. She's a protector, of everyone. Not just her family. She fights for the world, and she's won. Countless times. Your Mother was a threat, so she responded in kind"

"You really think that's gonna help?" he frowned at her. "I don't care about the world, or justice. These people can all drop dead for all I care! I want the Mother that was taken away from me! I want a chance to be loved! Like you, and your precious siblings" he mumbled the last part.

And that's when Charlie saw it, he wasn't some evil mastermind. Well, a little. But, largely he was just a boy who missed his Mother. And wanted her back. "I get it. You miss her. You want a chance to know her. Honestly, if I was in your shoes I'd do the same. I'd do anything to see my Mom again. But, Zee was _bad_ for this world"

Ronan almost got sucked in then, but he wasn't going to let her get to him. "Screw this world…" he struck her with fist to her face, powered by his lightening for the extra strength. "… And screw you" he was glad to have silence.

* * *

 **A/N: Ooh! Poor Charlie. Give me your thoughts.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Almost to the end. And still so much to cover!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Drastic Choices**

 **Clinic**

Trying to get Lauren to calm down was Bo's first job. Her second, was coming up with a plan to get her daughter back from Ronan. She had to wonder how he even got access to Trick's room in the first place. Like the Dal, the Clinic was protected by certain talismans.

They forbade any and all malicious individuals from entering. Ronan must've found a way to disarm them. Or maybe a way around them all together. She had to assume the Dal was no longer safe now. The only place that was impenetrable was the house. Bella's magic was harder to break than a talisman.

But she still worried about her daughter. Ronan knew by taking her, she'd have no choice but to trade her for the dagger. But there was no guarantee that he wouldn't kill Charlie with it as soon as Bo handed it over.

She couldn't risk it, but she also couldn't let him hurt her daughter.

What the hell was she supposed to do?

Ethan had his hands full calming his Mother down, "Mom, you need to take a breath. Ronan's not gonna hurt Charlie as long as we have his dagger. She's safe" he knew that.

"Safe?" Lauren frowned at him. "Ronan is insane! He won't hesitate to hurt Charlie if we don't give him what he wants!" She was hyperventilating. Her daughter had been taken. How many times did this have to happen before they did something?

"What're you saying?" Ethan didn't like the way that sounded. "You think we should hand the dagger over?" Her look gave him her answer. "No. We can't do that. Come on Mom. You've faced enough bad guys to know, that tactic never works. They always try pulling something in the end" he wasn't doing that.

Lauren sighed, rubbing her face. "Not one year goes by, where we're not attacked or threatened. It'd be great, if we could just be like a normal family for a change!"

"Then we wouldn't be us" He said.

That in itself, spoke volumes.

Bo decided to step in. "Lauren, you need to calm down!" She ended up fighting with her Wife for the next few minutes. "I know this's horrible. I know you're worried about her; so am I. But we're not gonna get anywhere by panicking. We have to think" she managed to calm her down.

And it must've worked, because it was enough for her to think of something to help. "What about Parker?" She got a frown from Bo.

"Parker? Who's Parker?" Ethan had never heard that name before. His Parents started talking very quietly and away from him all of a sudden. He hated secrets. "Okay, clearly there's something I'm not supposed to know. Otherwise you wouldn't be whispering. Just tell me"

Bo shook her head, she wasn't ready to fire that gun. But Lauren just kept telling her to spill it. He was going to find out sooner or later. "Parker, is one of Ronan's guys. And also, Bella's new Boyfriend…" she saw his face. "… Yeah, I don't like it either"

He just started laughing, "Oh, I get it. Make a joke at a tense time to try and lighten the mood; funny Mom. Really, you got me!" He kept laughing but his Parents didn't join him. "Or, it's not a joke. And you're serious"

" _Dead_ serious" Lauren replied.

That was when Ethan lost it. "Are you kidding me?! Bella can't have a Boyfriend!" He was worse than when Bo found out. "Nuh uh! This's isn't happening. I forbid it! Where does he live?" He asked them.

That was a very odd question. "Why'd you wanna know where he lives?" Bo asked.

"So I can go there and kill him, why else?" Ethan acted as if it was completely normal. He loved his littlest sister more than his other siblings. He wasn't ashamed to admit it. She was the good one—the best of them.

Lauren placed a hand on his chest, his heart was racing in his rage. But she had to calm him down. "Okay, no one is killing anyone. Except Ronan, if we can manage to get Charlie to a safe distance beforehand. But we still need Parker's help. He might be able to tell us where Charlie is"

"You're right, a smart villain wouldn't go back to their lair once it's been compromised. His Penthouse's still a crime scene; he must've gone somewhere new" Bo would bet good money on it.

"Maybe we should get Trick to a safer location? Ronan might come back" Lauren was worried about Charlie, but Trick was family too and she couldn't just leave him here with no security.

But Trick shook his head, "He won't be coming back. He got what he came for. Charlie's his leverage, he wasn't interested in me. Your worry isn't necessary" he'd been around people like Ronan before. They all operated the same way.

Bo didn't like it; "Trick, we can't risk it. I'm gonna call Dyson, you can rest up with him and Tamsin while we get all this figured out. Okay?" she grabbed her phone and went to make he call. After that, they waited for Dyson to show up, which didn't take long because he was on his way for a visit anyway.

So, with her Grandfather safe and protected; she thought of getting a plan together. "We need to have a family meeting back at the house, so let's go" she walked to the exit.

Ethan and Lauren followed behind. With Ethan having some very gruesome thoughts about what he was going to do to this _Parker_ when he met him.

 **Dennis Household – Later**

They didn't bother calling on their way home, it was pointless. So, they drove home as fast as they could. Running every red light on their route. As they got into the house, Ethan went straight for Bella. He wanted to yell at her, but Shay pulled him away before he could.

"I need to talk to her!" He pointed at his littlest sister.

"Not when you're this angry, you don't…" Shay was normally the one who was going off the rails and now it seemed like she was the sane one in the house. What the hell was going on? "… What's up your ass anyway?"

"Bella's dating an enemy!" He answered her. Was he the only one thinking straight?

She had to laugh. "Why does he have to be branded as an enemy?" She asked him. "Yeah okay, he has a shitty employer. But that doesn't make him evil. From what Bella's told me, he sounds like a good guy" she'd talked it out with her little sister while her Parents had been out.

He raised his eyebrows, letting out a dry chuckle. "A good guy huh? I'll be the judge of that!"

"Is this how you're gonna be with all the people she dates?" Shay asked him, this was ridiculous. "She might be the youngest, but she's sure as hell the wisest of us all. You can't treat her like a baby forever E. If you do, she's gonna hate you for it. Get a grip!" She shoved his chest, then walked away.

Ethan thought about what she said, and she was right. Bella would hate him if he tried to control her life. But he didn't see it as him controlling her, he just saw it as protecting her. But maybe he was being a little bit too full on. He still wanted to meet this new boyfriend though.

As soon as Bo got through the door, she asked Bella to step aside so she could talk to her while Lauren filled the others in. But her youngest looked rather frightened, "What? Why're you looking at me like that?"

"I'm just wondering how much yelling I can expect" Bella figured her punishment wasn't over yet.

Hearing that made Bo hate herself. "I'm not gonna yell at you…" she reassured her. "… And I'm sorry for how I reacted earlier. It was just a shock, you know? And, I just want what's best for you. You know that, right?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I know"

"Good. So, speaking of Parker? I need you to invite him over. The sooner the better!" Bo needed his help.

"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea—" Bella was cut off by her Mother explaining that Ronan had taken Charlie. And that he wouldn't give her back until he got his dagger. "I can message him, but when he's with Ronan he doesn't answer. Just in case someone sees"

"To save himself, no doubt" Bo muttered it under her breath but Bella heard it loud and clear. She was always thinking the worst.

But it actually wasn't the case this time around. "Actually, he does it to keep _me_ safe. He knows if they find out about us, they'd come for me after they deal with him. Just because he works for an evil man, doesn't mean _he's_ evil too"

Realising her mistake, Bo apologised. "You're right. I shouldn't judge him before meeting him. But, I still really need his help to save Charlie. So please sweetie; call him, message him, you can even Facebook him, I'll take anything at this point!"

"I'll see what I can do" Bella walked away, going to her phone.

Lauren pulled Bo aside, wanting to have a word with her. "What if Ethan's wrong? What if Ronan _does_ hurt Charlie before we get there? Bo, if I lose her again—" she felt herself breaking down away, but Bo hugged her before she could.

"Hey? You're not gonna lose her…" Bo shushed her. She wanted to panic too, but she didn't have the option right now. Not when something needed to be done. "… I'm gonna get her back, I promise. He won't hurt her if he wants his dagger back" she was hoping he wouldn't.

"I know keeping the dagger away from him is important, okay; I get it. But, it's not powered by their deaths anymore…" Lauren referred to her newly revived children. "… So, that means it's useless. Doesn't it? He can't bring Zee back without the power of their sacrifices" she'd give the dagger back if it meant getting her daughter home safe.

Bo understood where she was coming from, but she couldn't do what Lauren was asking. "The dagger might not be able to bring Zee back, but that doesn't stop him from coming after the kids again. Or us, for that matter. Besides, it's the only weapon that can kill him. As long as we have it, the ball's in our court"

"And what about our daughter?!" Lauren hated arguing, but she was too worried about her little girl to care. "What happens if she gets hurt because we were too slow making a decision? I just, want her back" she cried again.

All Bo could do was comfort her, she didn't know what else to do. "So do I, but babe…" she spoke to her in her ear. "… I need you to trust me with this. You know I love her more than anything in the world, and I'm sure as hell; not gonna let her be taken from us. Just, trust me. Can you do that?"

Pulling back, Lauren gave her a kiss. "I've trusted you since the second I met you. I'm just worried about her"

"We all are" Bo replied.

Bella had messaged her Boyfriend and asked him if he could come by the house. It took him a while to respond but he finally did. And told her he'd be there as soon as he could. Hopefully, in the next half an hour. So, that meant they had to wait. Which wasn't something they were very good at.

Shay handed her Mother the dagger, not knowing what to do with it. She, Ethan, Bo and Lauren all spoke about it together. Being that they were the more grown up individuals of the family, they thought they could come up with a plan together. "We can't hand that thing over to him" she said.

"If we want Charlie back, we have to" Ethan replied.

"Even if he gets it, there's no guarantee he'll hand Charlie over to us. If anything, he'll use her for as much leverage as he can. And once he finds out the dagger isn't charged with your deaths anymore, he's gonna go ballistic" Bo feared that outcome.

Shay agreed with her Mother on that. "So, scenario one; we give him the dagger, and he gives us Charlie, but comes to kill us anyway once he finds out it's a dud. Or scenario two; we _don't_ give him the dagger, he kills Charlie, and we kill him with the dagger. Either way, we end up losing" she didn't fancy dying again.

"What if we could trick him?"

The four of them turned around to see Bella standing there. "Trick him?" Lauren frowned. "How do we do that?"

After thinking about their predicament for a while, Bella found a solution. "I've been thinking about it, and I think I might be able to glamour a different weapon to look like the dagger. We could give that to him in exchange for Charlie, then kill him with the real one"

Ethan was impressed, he was still mad but felt differently after what Shay said to him. "That's actually pretty good. How'd you come up with that?"

"I was reading through some spell books and found the glamour incantation. The rest was pretty straightforward. But, it's up to you guys if you wanna go ahead with it" Bella was only giving her opinion.

"Sounds good to me" Shay was all for it.

Bo looked at Lauren, who nodded. They had to admit, through this entire nightmare Bella had come through in more ways than one. And they'd treated her so badly today, that stopped now. "Yeah, it's a good plan. I think we might be able to pull it off. Well done" she winked at her.

Any kind of praise always made Bella feel good. She felt like she mattered more. "I'll get the spell ready, and I'll find a weapon. Can I go through your weapons chest?" She looked at her Mother.

"Go nuts baby girl..." Bo watched her run upstairs. "… So, we've got a plan. Now we just need to know where Charlie's being held—" they all heard a knock at the door, and Ethan's eyes turned serious. It was Bella's new _friend_. "Ethan? Back up, now!" She couldn't have him killing Parker before they got the information. "Shay? Get the door please"

Shay laughed at her Brother's face. "Dude, chill!" She walked away to the front door, opening it and seeing a rather strapping young lad. Blonde hair, green eyes, and the nicest smile she'd ever seen. Her sister did good. "You must be Parker. Please, come on in" she ushered him inside with a smile.

Parker immediately saw the feared Dennis family standing before him. With the oldest Hybrid giving him evil eyes. He was afraid of this. "Hi, I'm Parker. It's nice to meet you all" he smiled politely.

"Wish we could say the same…" Ethan said. "… I know you and my sister have a _thing_ going on right now. But don't go getting any big ideas. She's not the _Bella_ to your Edward!" That was a subtle movie reference. He was never a discriminator, but he hated Vampires. They were sneaky, cunning, selfish little shits.

"Am I supposed to know what that means?" Parker had never heard that expression in his life.

Lauren pushed Ethan aside, telling him to grow up. "Pay no attention to him. Hi, I'm Lauren…" he shook her hand like a proper gentleman. "… I wish we knew more about you, but Bella's a pretty private person" she didn't want to bring up that argument again.

He nodded, "I know. Though, we've both been keeping secrets since we met. But, only to protect each other. I imagine you all dislike me for working with Ronan?"

Shay placed an arm around his shoulders, she was cool with her little sister dating someone but that didn't mean she wasn't going to give her own stamp of approval. "Hating someone because his employer's an ass, would be hypocritical of us. It's up to you how we see you so, don't muck it up!"

"Shay? Leave him alone!" Bo told her to move away from him. "I would love for this to be a social gathering but I'm afraid current circumstances have forced our hand. You work for Ronan, and he has my daughter; Charlie. Do you know where he's keeping her?" She had no time for getting to know him.

Parker heard from Bella that this was what the meeting was about. "Yes, he's holding her at a Penthouse on Tary Street, Downtown" he saw Bo and Lauren look at each other.

"That little bastard!" Bo couldn't believe he'd be stupid enough to go there. "That's where his Mother and Father used to live before he was born. I had that place condemned. Why would he go there?"

"Maybe because he's a messed-up douche bag with Mommy issues?" Shay said.

Parker shook his head, "Actually, none of the above. If I may explain?" They listened carefully. "Some years ago, you killed his Father in that very spot. The death of a God, marks a certain location with a lot of energy. He wants to harness that power, so that when you come to rescue Charlie; you won't be able to stop him" it was a clever plan.

Lauren sighed, it was just one thing after another. "I don't remember Zee and Hera being this smart. Where does he get it from?" This was ridiculous.

"I got the stuff we need for the glamour—" Bella walked downstairs with Patrick behind her, he'd apologised for his behaviour earlier. So they were cool. But now she'd walked in on her Family around her boyfriend. "Why didn't anyone call me?" She should've been the one to answer the door.

"Sorry, we weren't aware we needed your permission to answer the door-" Ethan said it, but Shay slapped his arm as he finished. He didn't care for that.

Bella gave the weapon to Patrick, then approached her Boyfriend. "Are you okay?" She was surprised they hadn't killed him yet. He told her he was. "How did you get away from Ronan?"

"He'd sent me on an errand, so it actually timed out perfectly" he gave her a smile.

Ethan was having a hard time stomaching all this. "Okay, I've gotta ask; what's your deal?" He asked him. "If you're such a _great guy_ , then why're you helping Ronan destroy us? _Us_ , being; your Girlfriend's family" he hated using that word.

Bella shot Parker a look, "It's okay, you can tell them" they needed to know why he was working for the very man trying to kill them all.

Parker decided it was time. "I'm not working for Ronan, because I'm some kind of mercenary looking for a well-paid gig. Something you probably don't know about Ronan, is that he's broke. My Parents were hunted down and killed when I was young, they left me and my little brother everything"

"How much is _'everything'_?" Patrick had to ask.

"Millions of dollars, earned over centuries of hard honest work. I come from a Light Fae Clan. One of the noble families, in fact. I met Ronan at a bar one night. He said his Mother knew my Parents and that they owed her a favour. He'd come to collect from me" Parker explained further.

Bo didn't think much of this boy if he was willing to give in to someone so easy. "And you just gave him whatever he wanted?"

Parker shook his head, "No, I made the mistake of telling him to shove it. So he decided to take the blackmailer's route. He has my little brother…" they became much more sympathetic. "… His name's Donnie; he's ten"

Lauren could feel his pain and fear. And she felt bad for all the negative thoughts she'd placed on him. He wasn't a bad guy at all. He was just a pawn. "So, that's why you've been helping Ronan? And thanks to you, he has an endless supply of funds to bank roll his vile deeds"

"I'm ashamed, and I'm appalled. But, what else am I supposed to do?" Parker didn't have a good answer. "I'm just a Vampire. He's the son of a God, I had no choice but to give into his demands. It's the only thing keeping my brother alive"

Bo approached him. Seeing him in a new light. "You're right. He is the son of Zeus…" she wasn't disputing that. "… But I've killed two Gods already, _three_ if you count Zee. Ronan does. I give you my word, we'll get your little brother back" she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I appreciate that…" Parker was grateful. "… And I know none of you have any reason to trust me, but I just want you to know; I care about Bella. It's not fake, or a ploy. It's real" he needed them to know that.

And as they watched Bella slide her hand into Parker's, Bo and Lauren knew he was telling the truth. "We know. Don't worry, it's all gonna be okay. Especially since, we've got a plan now" Bo gave Bella a look.

Who snapped out of her daze. "Right! Yeah, the plan!" She reached into her pocket and got the page she ripped out from one of the spell books her Grandfather gave her. "If I do the spell just right, I'll be able to morph one of your normal knives into an exact replica of the dagger"

"So, what're we waiting for? Let's get it done!" Lauren clapped her hands, wanting things to move forward quickly. Her daughter still needed to be saved.

"You help your family, I've gotta get back before he wonders where I've gone" Parker let go of Bella's hand, then went to leave.

But Bella didn't want to let him go just yet. "Okay. Be careful" she decided against kissing him like she wanted, so she just gave him a smile as a goodbye.

Shay nudged Ethan's arm, "See, you had nothing to worry about. He seems like an okay guy, besides; he's been through a lot" she didn't normally do sympathy, but after hearing Parker's story she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. He had it rough.

Though, Ethan wasn't sold yet. "Exactly. And someone who's been through all that, can become _very_ desperate in situations like this. So instead of welcoming him with open arms, maybe you should ask yourself; just how _far_ is he willing to go to get his little brother back?" He couldn't help but be paranoid.

This was his Family that was on the line. If it ever came down to them and anyone else, even someone his little sister was falling for; it wasn't a choice. He'd choose them every time.

Even though, that little reply made Shay think twice. And she would certainly be cautious when dealing with Parker, she still felt like her brother was being a little overbearing. "Do you hear yourself?" She asked him. "You're losing it man!"

"What'd you want me to say Shay?" He was done explaining himself, his actions were justified. "Someone's gotta be the big brother around here. It's _my_ job to protect Bella!" He yelled in a whisper.

"Correction, it's _our_ job!" Shay liked helping as much as he did, and as the oldest siblings and by far the strongest; it was up to both of them to keep their siblings safe. "But I promise you, _big brother_ …" she got in his face, "… If you do _anything_ , to ruin Bella's happiness; you're gonna have me to deal with" that was a threat.

And if there's one thing Shay was a master at, it was following through on her threats.

She didn't care how that sounded either. Bella very rarely had moments of happiness. She was the youngest so she always felt like an outcast, Shay wasn't going to let her be hurt.

Lauren turned her head when she sensed something, since becoming more than human; she'd been able to sense certain emotions. Much like how Bo could see auras. And she was sensing a lot of anger, coming from Shay _and_ Ethan who were caught in a stand off of some kind.

What now?

"Everything okay here?" She approached them both.

Ethan nodded, but never left his sister's eye line. "Oh yeah, everything's _awesome_. We're just having a little discussion about how to handle certain, _things_. But we're good, right Shay?" He wasn't scared of anyone.

Least of all his little sister.

Shay knew better than to start a fight right now, it wasn't needed. All she could do was see how things played out. "Right…" she gave him a nod. "… I just hope we're _clear_ on what we talked about. Are we?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow.

Lauren knew something else was going on, but they weren't throwing punches so she wasn't going to say something that might set them off.

" _Crystal_ clear…" he heard her, loud and clear. "… I'm gonna head to the Dal and get a drink. You know, have some _me_ time. Call me when Mom's ready to go" she broke his sister's gaze, turning around and leaving without talking to anyone else.

"You wanna tell me what that was all about?" Lauren decided to ask her daughter what she just witnessed.

Shay took a breath, she didn't normally challenge Ethan. But she couldn't let him ruin any chance of Bella being happy. However, this was always one of Ethan's flaws. Due to his need to be the protector of the family, he lived in his own little world where everything he did seemed like the right thing.

So, event though to everyone else; the way he was treating Parker and also Bella was considered cruel. To him, he didn't he'd done anything wrong. And Shay knew he wasn't going to stop until he pushed it too far. Normally, he could snap out before then.

But Shay had a feeling this time would be different. "That, was round one…" it was only the beginning. "… Just let him walk it off. Don't worry, I'm all over it" she gave her Mother a wink.

"That doesn't make me feel any better Shay…" Lauren could sense her daughter's anxiety. And it was just rubbing off on herself. "… It's not your job to deal with him, it's mine and your Mom's. Bo?" She turned to her Wife.

"What's up?" Bo approached them, feeling like something was off.

Lauren took a breath, "Ethan's acting strange. I think it has something to do with Parker and Bella. I need you to talk to him before he does something stupid. I won't have us turning on each other at a time like this. He's gone to the Dal" she wanted it fixed.

And Bo was happy to step in, she knew how Ethan could get. "I'm on it. Don't worry, okay?" She kissed her cheek. "Shay? Help your Mom while I'm gone, and make sure Bella casts that spell" she gave them a smile, then ran out the door.

 **The Dal – Later**

This had to be the worst idea Ethan had ever had. But he felt it was necessary. He was all for his siblings being happy. But right now, he wasn't thinking straight. And since she was born, he had a connection with Bella. It was like they were linked or something.

He asked his Grandfather if it was normal, and Trick said it's common in Succubi and Incubi.

Sometimes two individuals from that species would have a deep connection. It was a loyalty bond between two family members. And it didn't help that Ethan's default setting was to be overwhelmingly loyal to all his family, but when it came to Bella he went above and beyond.

Which was why the fact that she had a Boyfriend, didn't sit well with him. He had a hard time trusting anyone who came near her, especially someone who had romantic intentions. That, and he still had a bad vibe from Parker. It was convenient that he told that sob story when they confronted him.

It was the oldest trick in the book.

So, Ethan was going to take matters into his own hands. Before he left the house, he swiped Bella's phone from the kitchen counter. On his way to the Dal, he sent a text to Parker from her phone, telling him to meet her there as it was an emergency. Time would tell if he showed up or not.

He waited for a few minutes, and sure enough; Parker ran through the door. Worried something had happened. "Bella!" He looked around for her. "I'm here!"

"Yes…" Ethan stepped out from the back room, "… You are. But sadly, Bella won't be joining us. Hope you can forgive my deception. I didn't know how else to get you here" he placed his sister's phone on the bar.

Parker didn't understand. "You stole her phone?" This was weird. "So, there's no emergency? Bella's fine?"

Ethan nodded, "For now, yeah. But, if she keeps hanging out with you; I have a feeling that'll change. You may've convinced my Parents that you're a victim of Ronan's madness, and my siblings too…" he jumped over the bar, landing right in front of him. "… But, I don't buy it"

"I told you, what I feel for Bella is _real_ …" Parker hadn't said it to her yet, but he figured Ethan would want to hear it. "… I love her"

Those words didn't fall on Ethan's ears kindly, "Love? What the hell do you know about love? You're just kids!" He grabbed him by his shirt. "Whether it's real or not, your love is gonna get my sister killed. And I swore the day she was born, that I'd always protect her"

Parker didn't like the look in his eyes. "What're you gonna do?"

"Yeah, Ethan…" Bo walked in, shocked by what she saw. Her noble son, about do something that would break this family. She wasn't going to let that happen. "… What're you gonna do?"

Ethan closed his eyes, sighing. "What I have to do, to keep our family safe"

Bo stepped forward, but Ethan kept lifting Parker higher. She couldn't just try and stop him, he wouldn't go for that. She was going to have to talk him out of this.

As if she didn't have enough to do already.

* * *

 **A/N: Oohh! Is Ethan in the right? Will Bo be able to talk him down? Find out next time! Leave me your thoughts.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry this's a bit late.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Dealer's Choice**

 **The Dal**

Bo stepped forward, but Ethan kept lifting Parker higher. She couldn't just try and stop him, he wouldn't go for that. She was going to have to talk him out of this. "We both know I can't stop you…" he was too strong. "… But I just want you to know, if you do this? Bella will _never_ forgive you. Is your paranoia worth that?"

He'd hoped to do this without anyone knowing, but maybe he _was_ acting a little crazy. "He's hiding something Mom, I can sense it!" He tried to tell her.

"I'm not hiding anything! You're just nuts!" Parker yelled.

Bo approached them, "Quiet!" She had an idea to ease Ethan's suspicions. "Ethan, put him down. _Now_!" She waited for him to lower Parker to his feet. "If you're _so_ sure he's hiding something, then why don't you just ask him? Why go through all this when the easy solution's always been there?"

He knew what she was talking about. His compulsion ability. And he had considered it but his paranoia made him overlook it. He turned to Parker again, "Do you love my sister?" He looked into his eyes, using his powers.

"Yes" Parker replied without hesitation.

Ethan saw his Mother breathe in relief, but he wasn't done yet though. "Does Ronan know about your relationship _with_ my sister?"

Parker's expression changed, almost as if he didn't want to answer. But he had no choice, he had to. "Yes"

Bo's eyes widened, he told them Ronan didn't know anything. He'd been lying this whole time. She watched Ethan smile, knowing he was right. "It's not something to be happy about…" she told him, wiping the smirk off his face. "… It's my turn to ask the questions now" she gave her son a nod.

Ethan caught her drift. So, he turned back to Parker. "Whatever she asks you, you _will_ answer. _Truthfully_. Understand?"

Parker nodded, "I understand"

Bo waited for Ethan to move out of the way, but told him to stand behind Parker in case he tried to run. It was a tactic she and him and repeated in the past. They made a good team. "I believed you. Was the story you told us about your little brother even true?"

"Yes, I didn't lie about that" Parker answered.

"But you chose to lie about the fact that Ronan _knows_ you're dating my daughter? I want you to tell me why" Bo folded her arms, ready to hear whatever he had to say.

Parker tried to stop himself from saying it, but Ethan's hold was too strong. "He didn't know at first, I swear. But one of his other guys saw me and Bella together one night. After that he knew everything. I tried to cut it off with her, to keep her safe. But, I couldn't"

Bo knew he wasn't lying about loving Bella, she could see it in his eyes when he said her name. "Because you love her, or because he told you not to?" This was important.

"Both…" he replied. "… When I refused to keep seeing her, he threatened my little brother's life. I couldn't let him get hurt" he was torn between two loves.

"What's he been getting outta this? Intel? Leads? What?" Bo asked.

Parker shook his head, "Nothing. He doesn't want any intel from you. It's Bella he wants…" she asked him why. "… Because she's the only one who can cast the spell that's needed to use the dagger's power for the resurrection"

That didn't sound right to Bo. "He could get any Sorceress or Warlock to do it. Why her?" It didn't make sense.

"Once Ethan, Shay, Patrick and Charlie's life forces are trapped in the dagger, only someone from their bloodline can harness their energy. He thought he'd be able to do it since he's your cousin, but it has to be someone with a direct link to those who've been sacrificed. Without her, the ritual won't work" Parker said.

"Can I kill him _now_?" Ethan was ready and waiting.

Bo held her hand up, stopping him. "No, he's just a pawn. Yeah, he's made crappy decisions but he's doing it for his family, and for love. Right?" She waited for Parker to nod, and he also started crying.

"I'm sorry!" Parker broke. "You've gotta believe me, I really do love Bella. But, I'll do anything to get my little brother back"

"Even if it meant handing Bella over?" Bo asked.

Parker expected a yes to come out of his mouth, but surprisingly he said No. He couldn't believe it. "I could never do that"

Bo smiled, "You know that flutter you feel around your heart right now?" She knew this feeling well. "That's what true love is. You could never hand Bella over because you love her too much…" she looked at Ethan. "… And that means we can trust him"

"You can't be serious!" Ethan frowned at her. "He just told you he stayed with Bella because Ronan _told_ him to! How can you possibly think he's worthy of her trust after that?" Was he crazy.

"Ethan? You're my son, and I love you more than my own life…" Bo approached him. "… But if you don't snap out of this overprotective bullshit, it's gonna cost you. I know you have that bond with Bella, and it's strong. But you can't keep doing this with every guy she dates" this actually wasn't the first time he'd gone like this with one of Bella's Boyfriends.

Unbeknownst to the rest of the family, Bo actually walked in on Ethan compelling one of Bella's Boyfriends to stop calling her and to break it off. She grounded him for three months for that. When Lauren asked her why she did it, Bo just told her it was better she didn't know. Lauren never forced her on the issue again. She knew better.

"He's not good enough for her" Ethan said.

"Why? Because he's a Vampire?" Bo knew Ethan had a hatred of them, ever since he had a bust up with a nest a few years ago. But she could tell Parker was different. "Not all of them are bad…" she knew that from experience too. "… You can go Parker, thank you for telling me about Ronan's plan"

Parker became calmer, knowing that he wasn't going to die today. "It's not like I had a choice. But I'm glad you guys know now so you can keep Bella safe. Once he gets his dagger back, he'll come for her"

"Let us worry about that…" Bo told him to go, watching him leave. "… Are we gonna talk about what just happened?" She didn't really have the time given that Charlie was being held captive. But she knew Ronan wouldn't hurt her if he wanted his dagger back.

Ethan went to the bar, grabbing himself a drink. "Why? You already said your piece, no need for the rehash" he settled on a bottle of vodka. His Aunt Kenzi had taught him well.

But Bo snatched the bottle from him, "Hey? Talk to me. Why're you getting so crazy over this? It can't be just because of the bond, I've got one with your Mom and it doesn't make _me_ act this way" she'd die for Lauren, but Ethan was going overboard.

"I _know_ his kind!" He turned to her. "They lure you in with their false promises, and their charms, but in the end, they _always_ end up hurting you. Do you think I _want_ to feel this way? I don't! But it's this stupid bond! When Bella hurts; _I_ hurt! If there's something I can do to prevent it then I will" it was simple in his mind.

"You're a good brother Ethan" Bo told him, she believed that.

But he shook his head, "No, I'm not. I was ready to kill him. And deep down I _knew_ , if I did then Bella would never forgive me. But I felt like I had to do it, to protect her" it sounded so silly now.

"If there's one thing I've learned in these past few days, it's that Bella can take care of herself. She's protected by her magic. She doesn't need us anymore…" Bo held his hand. "… But it doesn't mean we won't always be there for when she does"

Ethan rubbed his face, "Here I am obsessing over Bella's love life, when it's Charlie we should be worrying about. We gotta get her back Mom" he wasn't losing any siblings today.

"We will…" Bo felt her pocket vibrate, reaching inside she found her phone with a message. It was from Lauren. "… Bella did it. She finished the spell. It's time" she looked back at him.

"Do you think we'll ever have normal lives?" He had to ask, and who better to answer him than his Mother?

Bo sighed, that was a tough one. "You know, I always made sure you and your siblings had a good childhood. That's not to say there weren't any problems, because there were. A few of them, actually. We'd get attacks, break ins, threats. But I never let that stuff interfere with you guys and your happiness. See where I'm going with this?" she asked him.

Ethan kind of did, but he also didn't. "Uh, I think so?" was that the right answer?

She laughed, then tapped his large shoulder. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, our family isn't normal. We never will be. But, that doesn't mean we can't be happy. The craziness will always find us, it'll challenge us, even to the point where it'll try and destroy us. We just gotta make sure we survive"

"Do you think we will?" that was his last question.

Bo just gave him a smile. "We're still here, aren't we?" with a wink, she told him it was time to leave the bar.

They had an evil cousin to kill.

 **Ronan's Lair**

He'd given Trick that message hours ago, and he still had yet to receive his dagger. Maybe he wasn't being clear enough. Which was why, he had some of his men give Charlie the once over. A little bit of torture never hurt anyone. Or, maybe it did. He didn't care. But he wasn't stupid either. He was guessing that Bo and her runts would have a plan up their sleeve.

So, he was going to take some extra precautions of his own. Which was why he needed to beat Charlie up a bit. He told his men to beat her within an inch of her life, since she was a Hybrid she would heal. But, Ronan also knew that if he hurt her enough then her healing ability would also be weakened.

Now was his chance.

He had Charlie brought back into his chambers, and the sight of her was nasty. "Oooh! Those look bad!" he glanced at the slashes on her back. "You'll have to excuse Andrew, he gets carried away with that whip. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll heal soon enough-oh wait! You won't!" he laughed at her.

"You think this'll break me?" Charlie was on death's doorstep, but she was still a Dennis. And she didn't break for anyone. "I grew up with four siblings! This's nothing!" she wasn't scared.

Ronan sat her down at a table, "Breaking you isn't my goal…" he said. "… I just needed you weak enough do a little favour or me. I'm told you're quite the _writer_ " he placed a book in front of her with blank pages, along with a pot of her blood and a quill.

"It doesn't work like that!" she yelled at him. "First rule of being a Blood Sage; everything I write has to be done of my own free will! You can't force me!" that was one thing she loved about her powers. It was the ultimate safeguard.

"Who said anything about forcing you?" Ronan frowned, "Bobby!" he called for someone. "Charlie, meet Bobby. He's a Demon Fae, and I bet you fifty bucks you can't guess what his power is…" he saw the look on her face. "… The power of-wait for it!" he imitated a drum roll. " _Possession_!"

Charlie sighed, if that was true then he could possess her and make her write anything he wanted. And given the state she was in, she wasn't strong enough to fight him. This was his plan, beat her so badly that she'd be useless in fighting him off. "What're you gonna do?"

Ronan smiled, "I haven't decided yet. Honestly, the possibilities are endless. I could make you write your family out of existence, now wouldn't that be fun?" his smile faded when she started laughing. "What's so funny?"

She understood now. "That's why it didn't work when I tried to erase you…" it all made sense. "… No Mage can use their ability to harm their own blood. I didn't know you were related to us back then, lucky for you. Otherwise you'd be dead right now. Sorry to burst your bubble" Charlie looked at him with a smile on her face.

Then Ronan had an idea. "Well, since I'm Family; maybe you could do your good old cousin a favour. And by you, I mean Bobby…" he gave his friend a nod. "… Go ahead, take her for a spin" he watched in awe, as Bobby used his powers to phase through Charlie and situate himself inside her body.

Charlie's eyes opened, and they set themselves onto Ronan her mouth curled into a smile. Her hand picked up the quill, and dropped it into the bowl of her blood. "What'll it be boss?" Bobby spoke through her.

"Excellent!" Ronan clapped his hands. "It's like Christmas morning! There's so many things I could do, but what? I have to be smart about this. If there's one thing I know about Bo and Lauren, it's that they'd never allow their children to be harmed…" he'd decided. "… Link me to one of the immortals" he referred to Shay and Ethan.

"Which one?" Bobby asked.

Ronan was feeling spontaneous so he shrugged, "Dealer's choice; you decide…" he watched him use Charlie's body to write the words in the ancient Fae language. The great thing about possessor Demons, is that they didn't just take their victim's bodies, they had access to their memories while inside.

Charlie's knowledge of the ancient dialect was his for the taking, so he kept writing. And it was amazing, how the letters began to glow. Ronan could feel himself getting stronger, linking himself to one of the Hybrids also allowed him to harness their power.

They weren't going to see this coming, and he loved it. "… If they succeed in killing me, I'll be taking one of them with me" he took the book from the table, closing it.

Under his boss' orders, Bobby left Charlie's body. She coughed, and breathed deeply. That was awful, and what was worse is she had no memory of what he did. "What did you do?" she tried to get up, but Bobby held her down, she was too weak to fight. "Tell me what you wrote! TELL ME!"

Ronan tutted, "Nuh uh, _no_ spoilers. I guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you? Don't worry, you'll love it! Who am I kidding? You're gonna be devastated!" he laughed, then noticed the slashes on her back starting to heal. Well, that wasn't good. "Take her back to Andrew, she needs another lesson in obedience" he watched Bobby drag her away.

He walked to his quarters, setting the book down on his bed as he noticed something in the mirror. Looking at it, he saw his eyes shine. They were flashing blue. The link was taking effect. He had to hand it to Bo; as much as he hated her, she'd produced powerful heirs. And it was that power that was going to help him destroy her.

It was all coming together.

 **Dennis Household**

Lauren was on the edge of her seat waiting for Bo to return home with Ethan. She didn't like the look on his face earlier, especially when he faced off with Shay. The last thing she needed was for her kids to be fighting among this mess. But when Bo arrived with Ethan in tow, she was happy to see he was okay.

"He looks calmer…" She waited for Bo to join her in the kitchen. "… Any chance he's gonna stay that way?" She needed cool heads around here.

Bo kissed her cheek, "We had a talk, and I think I managed to put out that fire. We need to look into the bond he has with Bella, it's not fair for him to feel like that. I'm not saying they can't be close; just not _that_ close"

It had become a problem over the years, but Lauren thought it would fade over time. "I think it has something to do with him being the oldest. He's always felt like he has to protect hem, but it's magnified with Bella because of their bond. Let's worry about it when this's all over"

"Sounds good…" With everything going on Bo hadn't had the chance to speak to her Wife about how she was feeling. "… How're you doing with all this?"

That made Lauren laugh, "How am I doing? My daughter's been kidnapped, and is probably being tortured as we speak—"

"We don't know that for sure" Bo said.

But Lauren nodded, "Yes we do; at least I do. I can feel her…" ever since her children had been born she had an intense connection with each and every one of them. Which was why she knew something was wrong when this all started. "… He's hurting her Bo. And she's scared. We have to get her back"

Bo gave her a hug, "We will, I promise…" she let her get it all out. "… Even if it means sacrificing myself. I'd die for them, you know that"

"Yeah, I do…" Lauren sniffled, "… I know you'll do whatever it takes to keep us safe. But _you're_ important too! I love you, as much as I did the first day I met you. More, even. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you" she leaned into her.

So that's what the problem was. Bo saw it now. Lauren was scared that she'd do something crazy to try and kill Ronan. And that it'd cost her in the end. That actually did sound like something she would do. She wouldn't be herself if she didn't.

"Hey?" Bo held her face, "I know we always talk about spending eternity together, and if I have my way that _will_ happen. But—" Lauren began to shake her head but Bo stopped her, she had to say this. " _But_ , we also have to prepare for the worst" she hated to say it.

Lauren didn't like hearing it either. "You can't leave me Bo" she cried.

"That's the last thing I want!" Bo didn't want to cry, she had to be strong for her. "I love you, more than anything. And if someone tries to take me away from you, they're gonna be in for one hell of a fight. I promise you" she kissed her, followed by a tight embrace.

"Uh, Mom?" Shay hated to interrupt them, and judging by the vibe she was picking up on they were exchanging some heavy emotions. "We're ready to go"

Bo took a breath, composing herself. She wanted to tell Lauren to stay here with Bella but she knew it wouldn't end well. Plus, Bella's magic came in handy when fighting. She stepped away from her Wife and took the decoy dagger from Shay while Ethan held the real one.

"Wow, Bella did a good job. If I didn't know any better I'd say it's the real thing" she was impressed.

"What can I say? Little sis's got mad skills…" Shay smiled. "… Is everything good with you and Mom?"

Looking over at Lauren who was grabbing her jacket, Bo let out a breath. "Yeah, she's just worried. You know how she gets. But everything's gonna be okay, I promise. No one's dying today. Well, only Ronan. It's my fault this all happened. There's a life lesson in this for you kiddo"

"What?" Shay asked.

Bo thought back to when she let Zee go all those years ago. If she had just been ruthless, then she would've gotten rid of the problem before it ever arose. "Mercy _isn't_ always necessary" she regretted giving it to Zee. Look at what it caused.

"Noted, you ready to do this?" Shay was more than ready.

Smiling, Bo waved the rest of her children over. This was her team now. Dyson and Tamsin were great and all, but her kids were her life. "As your Aunt Kenzi would say; Hells to the bells, _yes_! Let's go kill that son of a bitch"

 **Ronan's Penthouse – Outside – Later**

Thanks to Parker, they knew that Ronan was holding up at his Parents' old Penthouse. Bo and Lauren hadn't been here in years, it felt weird to come back now. But their little girl was up there, and they weren't leaving without her. They exited the car with Bella and Patrick, while Shay and Ethan pulled up in his car beside them.

Bo waited for them to huddle together, "Alright, everyone get clear of the plan…" she wanted this to go as smoothly as she could make it. "… You are to neutralise any goons that try to hurt you, only kill them if you have to. That means you Shay" she gave her daughter a look.

Shay's jaw dropped, "I'm literally _just_ standing here!" She hadn't done anything yet. Though she did love making bad guys suffer. It was like a hobby of hers.

"What about Ronan?" Ethan asked.

"None of you touch him, I'll deal with him myself" Bo placed her hand on Lauren's back, sensing her worry at the mention of his name.

Bella had a message on her phone in that second, so she checked it. "It's Parker…" she read the message. "… He said Charlie's being held in one of the back bedrooms. Ronan's on the balcony" it was good that they had an inside man.

Lauren wasn't cowering away this time, "Shay and Patrick are with me…" she said. "… Bella and Ethan should be with you. For backup" she looked at Bo.

"I agree…" Ethan didn't want his Mother going in there alone. Ronan was a crazy bastard. "… You hold the decoy, and I've got the original on standby when you need it" he held up the real dagger.

"Alright then, we've all got our jobs. Patrick? If you wanna power up, now would be the time" Bo tapped her youngest son's shoulder:

Patrick turned to Bella, she was the one he wanted to channel right now. She'd more than proved her power. "You mind?" He held out his hand to her, but Bella just stared at it. "I wouldn't blame you if you don't, I've been a pretty big jerk to you. I'm sorry Bell" he really was.

Luckily for him, Bella wasn't one to hold a grudge. So, she grabbed his hand and let him absorb a fraction of her power. "I forgive you" she smiled at him.

Once he powered himself up, Patrick felt invincible. "Whoa! I take back everything I ever said about your magic! It's awesome!" He chuckled.

"Alright, let's head up there" Bo held Lauren's hand the entire way. Things were going to be okay, she had to believe that. And she had to keep thinking it.

Even if it ended up going badly.

 **Penthouse**

After being beaten to a pulp, Charlie had been chained up in another room. Separate from Ronan's. Her ribs ached something awful, they'd really done a number on her. But they hadn't messed up her face that much. Why, she didn't know. Maybe they thought she was too pretty to disfigure. Oddly, that gave her comfort.

But it wasn't much use now, because Ronan had used her powers to do something terrible. She had no idea what he'd written in her blood when that Demon possessed her. She knew he couldn't hurt her Family, at least not outright. But that didn't mean he couldn't put something in motion, something that would end in her family's death.

And what was worse, was that she had no way of warning them. She knew they'd come here sooner or later to rescue her. But she couldn't let them if it was going to end badly. Instead, she sat on the floor, her hands chained to a hook on the wall beside her. She felt like an animal being restrained.

Then she wondered about something.

She and her siblings had always been close. So much so that Ethan and Bella had their own bond. They could sense things about each other without uttering a word. If she had to choose a sibling that she was close with to have a bond it would be Patrick. They were born a year apart, so they had the most in common.

If ever there was a time to find that bond, it was now. So, she closed her eyes. And tried to call to her little brother with her mind. Preferably before they came to rescue her. "Come on Patrick!" She was wishing for it to work. "Hear me!"

 **Seventh Floor**

On their way up, Bo and her Family had dispatched many enemies. Every floor, brought a new group of Ronan's guys that had to be dealt with if they were going to get to the Penthouse to save Charlie. There were quite a lot of them, which was why they broke off into teams.

Lauren, Shay and Patrick had already finished clearing their part of the floor. They met the others at the elevator just in time. Bo immediately noticed the slash on her Wife's stomach. "Oh my god! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Lauren assured her. "… It was a serrated blade, that's why it's taking a little longer to heal. I'm okay. Don't worry about me" she touched her cheek.

"In fairness, I offered her my blood and she wouldn't take it" Shay pointed out, just in case her Mother starting yelling at her for not offering it sooner.

Bo gave her Wife a frown, "Why won't you take it? It'll heal you" it was pretty simple.

Sighing, Lauren couldn't be bothered to do this. "Because we don't have time to take a break. I'm already healing, it's fine! Can we just keep going please?" She didn't have time to waste. She just wanted her daughter back.

"Sure…" Ethan for one, didn't want to make his Mother angrier than she already was. So, he pushed the button to the elevator and waited for it to open. "… Ladies first" he gestured for them to enter the elevator.

But as Lauren went to follow the rest of them, she had a sharp pain where her injury was. "Shit!" She let out a sharp hiss. Bo was at her side in a flash, wanting to take a look. "No need, I'm fine—"

Bo wouldn't let her go any further without taking a look. "Lauren, let me see it…" she managed to persuade her into lifting not her shirt. And it didn't look good. "… Holy crap, babe! It's bad!"

"She's right Mom…" Shay took a look at it, it wasn't healing like her Mother said it was. "… You need my blood. Here—" she quickly made a cut over her wrist. "Drink, we need you in fighting shape" she held it out to her.

Lauren drank it, and felt herself feel a little better. But for some reason, the wound wasn't healing as fast as it should've been. Especially, since she now had Shay's blood in her system. "I'm fine"

Bo stopped her from moving, "You're not fine!" She took Lauren aside, "What's the matter with you?"

"Me? What's the matter with _you_?" Lauren held her wound, "I know what you want me to do Bo; you want me to sit this out. Well, that's not happening! My daughter needs me!" She couldn't do nothing.

"You're right, she does…" Bo didn't disagree with her. "… But she also needs you alive. Lauren, you're not healing. Even with Hybrid blood to help you. What's that tell you?" She was hoping her super smart Wife would click.

And Lauren did, "That they've come up with a way to hurt us" anyone with a brain could see that's what Ronan had done.

"He's probably enchanted a bunch of weapons, and handed them out to his guys. Weapons that can hurt Hybrids, _you_ included!" Bo never labelled Lauren as anything other than her Wife, but she was a Hybrid too. "If you come up there with me, I'll be distracted. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing"

"Then what're you saying?" Lauren asked.

Bo rubbed her eyes, she was tired already. "I'm saying, that you're worth more than some fight. I will get Charlie back, I promise you that. But, I have to do it _without_ you" she couldn't be worrying about her and trying to kill Ronan at the same time.

It just wouldn't work.

Deep down, Lauren knew she couldn't go on. This wound, was hurting too much. "I know…" she sighed, "… Okay, I'll stay here. But, I mean it Bo—you bring her back to me safely" she didn't want anything less.

Giving her a kiss, Bo nodded. "I promise…" she managed to get her Wife to an empty apartment down the hall. It was a bit dusty but other than that it was okay. She placed her on the couch, and then cracked a window open for some air. "… You two?" She looked at Bella and Patrick, "You're staying with her"

"What?" Bella widened her eyes, "No, you need me up there!" Her magic had gotten them this far, she wasn't backing out now.

"Yeah, we probably do. But what you don't know, is that _you_ are what Ronan's really after…" Bo hadn't had a chance to tell them yet. "… Parker told us everything. Ronan can't pull off the resurrection spell without you. Having you up there will only make things worse"

Lauren was a little pissed that Bo didn't tell her this. "Nice of you to _finally_ tell us"

Bo deserved that. "Yeah well, we've been a little busy! I'm telling you now, okay? Look, this's isn't up for debate. You are both going to stay here, and look after your Mom. Got it?" She didn't hear an answer from them. "I said, _got it_?"

"We got it Mom" Bella and Patrick both said in unison.

Just as Bo, Shay and Ethan were about to leave they heard a gasp come from Patrick.

He felt a shiver run down his spine. His brother asked what was wrong. "Sorry, I just—" he turned around, looking at the empty room. "Thought I heard someone" he wasn't sure.

"Who?" Bella asked.

Patrick concentrated, trying to focus on the voice. Then he heard the voice clearly. "It's Charlie!" He exclaimed. "I swear to God, I can hear her!" He wasn't making this up.

"Hear her? How can you possibly hear her from three floors away?" Shay didn't believe it.

"I'm telling you, I can hear her!" Patrick said it again.

Lauren placed a hand on his shoulder, "Okay, calm down sweetie!" He was panicking. "Just listen for a second. Hear her. What's she saying?" She had to know.

Patrick closed his eyes, concentrating again. "She's saying, not to come and get her..." he was hearing her voice in pieces. "… She says it's a trap"

"Well, we knew that already. But we're not really gonna turn away, are we? We can't just leave her here" Ethan couldn't do that.

Bo shook her head, "Hell no! Whatever Ronan's got planned, he can't take us all on. We're stronger together. Is she saying anything else?" She asked her youngest son.

Patrick focused again, "No, I can't hear her anymore" he let out a sad sigh.

"We've got no choice but move up until we get to the top, come on" Bo told Ethan and Shay to head over to the elevator. She quickly sat beside her Wife. "Do me a favour? Try not to worry so much once we're gone?"

Lauren just looked at her dumb. "Is that a joke? Because if it's not then clearly you don't know a damn thing about me!" How could she not worry?

Bo smiled, "Hey? Everything's gonna be okay. I promise. I'm gonna go get our little girl, then I'm gonna kill that bastard. When it's over, and it _will_ be over; we're all gonna go home. I love you" she gave her a kiss.

"I love you too…" Lauren replied. "… Just, be careful" With that, she watched Bo run out of the room.

It was all up to her now.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Here it is.**

 **Who will suffer Ronan's Wrath?**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Sins of The Mother**

 **Penthouse**

Ronan had been reading over a book his Mother once gave him before she died. It told him everything he needed to know about Bo and her friends. The very people that shunned her from the city. Every time he read it, he got angry. His Mother also told him all about his own family. And how they were connected to Bo.

Nothing of what Bo told him before, was in here. Either it was a big fat lie, or his Mother neglected to write it down. Whatever the truth was, it didn't matter. Once he had the dagger and Bella, he would bring his Mother back. And then everything would be the way it was.

Wouldn't it?

He honestly didn't know anymore. He'd been hell bent on doing this for he last year, so everything he thought about just came right back around to that. One of his men told him that Charlie was whispering to herself and it seemed suspicious, so Ronan told him to shut her up.

That resulted in a strong sedative being administered to her. She wouldn't be getting up from that for a while. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the elevator behind him. "Ooh!" He closed his book, spinning around. "Company!" As he walked in from the balcony, he saw Bo and her two eldest children. "Is that all of you?"

He expected to see the entire Dennis Clan show up but alas, he was disappointed.

"It's enough…" Bo said. "… I want my daughter back. So, if you'll kindly hand her over we'll be on our way. No one has to get hurt here" in a perfect world, this exchange would go smoothly.

But the world was far from perfect.

"But hurting people is so much fun!" Ronan skipped over to them, but kept a safe distance. "Although, maybe you're right. Maybe there's a way for us to both get what we want without unwanted bloodshed. Here're my terms; you give me my dagger and I'll give you your daughter. Fair trade"

Shay scoffed, " _Unfair_ , you mean…" she knew his game. "… You only want it back so you can kill us again. Sorry to tell you, but that won't be happening. It sucked enough the first time. I don't need a repeat"

Ronan shrugged, "Fine then. No dagger; no Charlie. You can leave now!" He waved a hand to them, telling them to scram.

"I'm not leaving here without her!" Bo told Ethan and Shay the plan on their way up. They just had to act the part. "You want the dagger?" She pulled it from inside her jacket. "It's yours! I'm willing to trade if you are"

Ethan protested, just like she told him to. But she ignored him, telling him Family was more important than a weapon. From what they could see Ronan was eating it up.

Ronan held out his hand, "Give it to me" he yearned to have his beloved weapon back. It was practically calling to him.

"My daughter first…" Bo was far from stupid. She'd done enough of these trades in her life to know how they worked. "… And remember, no Charlie; no deal!"

He exhaled loudly, god she was no annoying. "She's down the hall, first bedroom on your left. Apologies if you find her a little out of sorts. But I had to do something to shut her up. Go ahead, rescue her" he welcomed them to it.

"Shay, go!" Bo told her, watching her run off into the back bedroom. She waited for them to return, and when they did she saw her little girl beaten and bruised. "You bastard!" She wanted to kill him for that.

Ronan rolled his eyes, "Quit your crying, she's alive isn't she?" It wasn't that bad. God, they were so dramatic. "Now, my dagger. If you'd be so kind" he held out his hand again.

As Shay held her injured sister she noticed a few guys pour into the living area. They were obviously getting ready for when he had the dagger back. There was no way he was going to let them leave here alive. Parker was among them, but he didn't want to be. He even made eyes at Shay, but she didn't know what he was getting at.

Bo stepped forward, "Before I hand it over, I have a few words of advice for you"

"Oh?" Ronan raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"You can try and come after my kids again…" she said. "… Hell, you can even come after me if you want. But just know, that as long as I'm still breathing; you will never have a day of peace. I could've been your ally, but you chose to embrace the darker side of our family. Now, I'm your enemy. And that's something you really don't want me to be"

Ronan wasn't falling for this. "Why not?"

There was a simple answer to that. "Because my enemies don't usually last the year. I will find a way to destroy you. And I can promise…" she whispered in his ear. "… It'll hurt" she gave him the fake dagger, then stepped away.

"Mom?" Charlie tried so hard to warn her, but the drug they gave her was making her head spin. She couldn't form a sentence. "He—" she couldn't say it.

"It doesn't matter sweetie, we're taking you home. Let's go guys" Bo held Charlie with Shay's help, as Ethan watched over them while they made their way to the elevator.

As they were attempting to leave, Ronan noticed something off about the dagger. It wasn't radiating the same energy as before. He guessed they would've powered it down, but even without energy curling it, it had its own energy it gave off. And he couldn't feel any of it.

This wasn't his dagger.

It was an illusion.

"It's a fake!" He was outraged. He'd made good on his end of the deal and they went and did this. "Stop them!" He ordered his men to grab them.

Ethan fought two men, Shay fought another while Bo tried to get Charlie to the elevator. Just as they were about to get inside, a man grabbed Bo's hair, pulling her back into the apartment. But just before he pulled her away, she managed to hit the button to the seventh floor.

As long as Charlie was safe with Lauren she didn't care what happened to her. The doors closed as Bo was yanked back into the apartment. "It's too late, she's gone. You can't hurt her anymore" she laughed, loving the fact that Charlie was safe and sound now.

Ronan made sure Ethan and Shay were being held with knifes to their throats. Yes, they'd heal. But it would take a while. And if they were too busy holding their bleeding throats, then they couldn't fight. "Clever girl Bo…" he was impressed. "… I assume this's Bella's handy work?" He held up the fake dagger.

"Sure is" Bo was proud to say that.

"You know, I've always thought Bella was under appreciated. I mean, it can't be easy being the youngest of a powerful bunch. I think she'd thrive if she went solo. Don't you agree, Parker?" He looked at his friend.

Parker stood behind Shay with a knife to her throat, then began glancing at Bo. It was time to give up this game. "No, I don't…" he let Shay go, who then threw the knife he was holding towards the man holding her brother hostage. Hitting him in the head. "… I don't take orders from you anymore"

"Then I hope you know, you've just killed your little brother!" Ronan had a feeling Parker would end up turning on him sooner or later. "You Dennis' really do have a way of making people swoon for you, don't you?" he hated that.

"What can I say, it's genetic" Bo smiled.

Ronan wasn't amused, "Well, I hope you can live with yourself Parker…" he looked at him again. "… You chose love over Family, and now because of that your little brother's gonna die"

But there was something Parker already knew. "Don't you mean, he's _already_ dead?!" He found out from another guy earlier this morning. "You never had any intention of giving me my brother back, because as long as you had leverage over me I'd be forced to do what you say"

Laughing, Ronan bowed his head. It was time for some home truths. "You're right, I didn't plan on giving him back. To be honest, you're lucky I kept him around as long as I did, he was so annoying" he made a face, remembering the whining.

"You prick!" Parker lunged at him, but Ethan held him back. "Let me go! I have to kill him!"

Ethan couldn't let him do it. "No, he'll kill _you_. You're not strong enough!" He pulled him back, "I'm sorry your Brother's gone, but there's still _someone_ who needs you!" He meant Bella. "Let it go Parker" he calmed him down.

Ronan let out an _'aww'_ , "How touching, pardon me while I grab a bucket to vomit in…" he didn't care for it. "… So, who's got the real dagger? Is it you Bo? So you can _'destroy'_ me; to use your words" he quoted her.

"Maybe…" Bo have a shrug. "… Must suck for you though. Knowing that today's your last day. And I did promise you it'd hurt, didn't I?" She was looking forward to this.

Unbeknownst to them, Ronan wasn't going to go down alone. He was going to take one of her children with him. But not even _he_ knew which one. It kind of made it more fun. "Well, I guess when it's time to go, it's time to go. I had a good run though, didn't I?"

"You got closer than your Mother ever did" Bo had to give him that. Zee never came this close to destroying her family. But Ronan was much smarter, clearly. And she told him that.

Ronan could take that as a job well done. "Go on then…" be outstretched his arms, inviting them to kill him. "… I won't fight you. I know it's over" there was nothing more that could be done.

Ethan reached into the back of his belt and retrieved the dagger, handing it to his Mother. "You're lucky it's not me. Cause' I'd make it hurt much worse" he would've been very creative with it.

Bo held the dagger, this was it. "Any last words?" He was entitled to them.

"Just, that you're right about me being smart…" he chuckled. "… Pity I don't have an ace up my sleeve right now though, huh?" he gave her a wink. In the next second, Bo drove the dagger into his heart. "Oh that's right, I do" he smiled painfully as he fell to the floor, feeling the dagger suck the life out of him.

Ironically, it wasn't his scream that shocked Bo.

It was the scream that came from behind her. She turned around, and saw her daughter with the same wound. She was bleeding heavily. "No!" She ran to her, catching her as she was about to fall. "I don't understand, how's this happening?!" She held her hand over Shay's wound.

"They have the exact same wound…" Ethan checked. But he fell to his knees, holding his sister's hand. "… He must've been linked to her. Stabbing him, stabbed _her_ too. Shay? You have to stay with us" he began crying.

He could've tried his blood, but it wouldn't have made a difference. She had the same running through her veins. And it wasn't doing anything. Because of the dagger.

Shay felt her insides begin to burn, just like the last time she got stabbed with that dagger. "Guess Charlie wasn't kidding when she said it was a trap, huh?" She was in so much agony.

"Shh, don't talk. We're gonna fix you right up, I promise!" Bo held her between her own legs, stroking her hair. "I'm not losing you again. Ethan, go get the others. Now!" She yelled at him until he left in the elevator.

"Mom? I don't think it's gonna work this time" Shay had a feeling this wasn't something that could be fixed.

Bo shook her head, "No. It will! We're just gonna do what we did last time, and use the dagger to revive you. It's all gonna be okay kiddo" she kissed the top of her head.

"That'll be hard to do without _said_ dagger. Look!" Shay pointed to where Ronan laid, still choking on his own blood.

Following her direction, Bo saw the dagger that was stuck in Ronan's chest. The hilt was starting to disintegrate. Then she recalled what Bella told her before.

Ronan made the dagger with his own blood, if he died then the dagger must go with him. But that was bad, because if they didn't have the dagger then they couldn't put Shay's energy back.

"There's always another way around something. And we'll find it, I promise. We're not letting you go just yet" Bo wasn't accepting it.

Shay could feel her time was short, "I don't think I've got much time left, so just listen…" she looked up at her. "… Tell Sasha, I love her. I need her to know that. And you guys—" she cried, not wanting to say goodbye but she had to. "I know I'm a pain in the ass, but I do love all of you"

Bo couldn't contain her tears, "Shay, please. Don't give up, you've gotta fight it" she held her closer.

Suddenly, the sound of the elevator went off. Ethan walked out with Lauren and Bella. Patrick stayed with Charlie, she couldn't move in her condition. "Shay?" Lauren dropped to her knees, checking her daughter over. "You're gonna be fine!"

Shay just shook her head, taking her hand. "Mom, it's okay…" she was accepting this. "… I'm ready. It's on you to keep them safe brother, okay?" She gave him a smile. "If you don't do a good job I'm gonna haunt you forever" she tried to laugh but it hurt too much.

"I promise" Ethan could do that for her.

Parker had been watching Ronan choke, and he could hear his heart slowing with every beat. As he approached the others, he made sure to embrace his Girlfriend. She needed him. "She only has seconds left" he told them.

Lauren couldn't get over what was happening, she had seconds to say goodbye to her daughter. But she didn't want to. "This can't be it…" she refused to accept it. "… It can't be"

"Her heart's slowing" Parker wanted to make them aware.

Bo let go of Shay and let Lauren hold her, and a part of her had to get away. She killed her daughter. Maybe not literally, but she killed Ronan. And that killed Shay. How could she even look at herself?

Shay's eyes were firmly closed, she wasn't able to speak any longer.

"I love you, so much…" Lauren kissed her head. "… You've done so much for us. Things no one else could've done. We _will_ see you again" she didn't want to let her go, but she felt her stop breathing. And as her last breath escaped, Lauren cried hysterically.

Parker heard Shay's heart stop.

She was gone.

Bo walked over to Ronan's body, he'd died at the same time. But unlike Shay, he choked on his own blood. That was deserved. He took her baby girl away from her. She bent down, touching he remains of black ash that laid over his chest. Some of it mixed with his blood. That's all that was left of the dagger.

Out of all their children, Lauren connected with Shay the most because of their past history. A history that Shay never knew about, it would've confused her if they'd told her and Ethan about their past selves. She and Lauren didn't want to burden them.

After this, Lauren would be inconsolable. Even as she looked over to her, Bo saw her Wife clinging to Shay's lifeless body. Hoping she'd come back. But she wasn't going to. She would've been back by now if she was.

"Ethan?" She finally found her voice among her tears. "Take Shay down to the car, we're getting out of this place…" she waited for him to start but he couldn't take Shay away from Lauren. She wouldn't let him. "… Lauren?" She walked back and touched her shoulder. "You need to let him take her"

Lauren just held her tighter, "No!"

"Babe, listen to me…" Bo knelt beside her, "… You don't want her to stay in this place. We need to take her home. Where she belongs. Come on—" Lauren just slapped her hands away. "Lauren, you _need_ to let her go"

"Why? So we can take her home, and then prepare a burial for her?!" Lauren was angry. "She's supposed to be immortal! She's supposed to be alive!" She kissed Shay's forehead.

Bo wasn't giving up, "She will be again…" she promised her. "… This isn't the end for her, or for us. We're gonna bring her back, just like before"

Ethan frowned, "How? The dagger's gone, Charlie's too weak and the last time Grandpa tried he almost died. How're we gonna bring her back?" He wanted it as much as anyone. Shay was his first sibling, and even though they weren't born at the same time, they felt like twins. Given that they shared the same powers.

"There's always a way, and we'll find it. Lauren? Please, let him take her. Come on…" Bo reached for Lauren's arms again, and this time she let her lift them. She pulled her up, and hugged her tight. "… I'm not giving up, I swear" she whispered to her.

"Please Bo; _please_ , tell me she's not really gone!" Lauren was begging her for the right answer.

And as much as Bo knew the right answer was, that she didn't know. She had to tell Lauren what she needed to hear. "She's not gone…" she said. "… Come on, let's go home" she helped her walk to the elevator, Lauren was still hurt from earlier.

 **Dennis Household – Shay's Bedroom - Later**

By the time they got home, Shay's body had gone cold. They didn't understand why it was happening so fast. Ethan laid his sister down in her bedroom, gently on her bed. "You can't leave me yet sis…" he held her hand. "… You still owe me that fight, remember?"

He couldn't believe this was happening.

Suddenly, he heard a creak come from his left. Lifting his head, he saw Sasha standing by the door. "Sasha, how'd you—"

"Bella called me…" She knew what he was going to say. "… She told me what happened, I didn't believe her. But, then I could feel it. In my heart, you know?" She'd cried on the way over, now she was just whimpering. "I made her promise me she wouldn't die again" she relieved Ethan of his seat and sat by her Girlfriend.

Ethan stepped away, but not far. "That doesn't sound like something she'd promise" he knew her too well, she'd never promise something she couldn't deliver on.

That's when Sasha laugh, "She didn't…" she started to well up again as she held her hand. "… She promised to try"

"Yeah, that sounds more like her…" He placed a hand on Sasha's shoulder. "… Look, we're not giving up on her. Like Mom says, there's always a way around something. We _will_ get her back"

"What if you can't?" She asked him. "I know you believe you will, and I'm praying you do too. I want her back as much as you guys but, maybe it's time for us to face the harsh reality of all this" she didn't want to, but she had to be realistic.

Ethan frowned, "And what's that?"

She wiped her tears, looking at him. "How many times can someone _actually_ cheat death?"

That made him wonder, what if he wasn't actually immortal? He'd already died, by Ronan's dagger. Being immortal meant that _nothing_ could kill a person. But the dagger did kill them. Maybe it wasn't as easy as all that.

Maybe it never would be again.

 **Bo & Lauren's Bedroom **

The only reason Lauren wasn't in Shay's room right now, was because she had to treat her own wound. She was healing finally, but it was still slow. Whatever their weapons were made of caused her healing ability to be lazy. So while looking in the mirror, she stitched herself, and then wrapped it. She could feel Bo behind her.

"You don't have to tip toe around me…" She secured the last piece of tape over her gauze, then turned around. But she found Bo in tears. "… What's wrong?" She sat her down on the edge of the bed.

Bo still wasn't over it. "I did this…" she said. "… I killed Ronan. If I hadn't, Shay would still be alive!" She couldn't stop crying. "I killed our little girl. Lauren, I'm so sorry!"

But Lauren didn't blame her one bit, she brought her in for a hug. "No you didn't! You had no way of knowing what he'd done. I sure as hell didn't see it coming. Do not blame yourself for this, you hear me?" She held her face, "It is _not_ your fault, okay? It's not" she kissed her head, then hugged her again.

"We have to bring her back but, where the hell do we start?" Bo didn't know. She just knew that there was always an alternative to something. She'd spent her whole life believing that. "Trick and Charlie are out of commission, and the dagger crumbled into pieces after Ronan died. What else is there to try?"

Suddenly, they heard a knock at their door. "I might know a way…" Bella had been standing there for a while, and she hated seeing her Parents so broken. "… But, it's dangerous"

"Everything is, these days" Bo pointed out, she wasn't exaggerating.

Lauren got up, slowly so not to rip her stitches. "What've you got in mind sweetie?"

Bella had spent the entire twenty minutes that they'd been home, going through every spell book she had. Then realised she was missing one. It was a dangerous book that Trick kept locked away in his vault. Since she didn't have the time to go to the hospital and ask him for a key, she summoned it to her. He wouldn't mind.

Much.

"This would be a lot easier if Ronan's dagger hadn't died with him, we could've used it to resurrect Shay. But, since we can't; I had to resort to something else. Something darker" Bella showed them her book.

"What is it?" Bo asked.

Explaining that wasn't going to be easy, but Bella had to try. "It's a book of dark spells. I found it in Grandpa's study years ago, but he told me no good came from reading it. So, he locked in his vault—"

"If he locked it in his vault then how did you get it?" Lauren knew that Trick never let anyone into his vault without his say so. He never even shared the key's location with Bo. "Bella?" Her daughter had a guilty look on her face.

Bella rolled her eyes, "I summoned it. I'm gonna put it back, I promise. I know it was wrong and I should've asked Grandpa first but, what if there's something in here that can bring Shay back? Isn't it worth going behind his back, just this once?" She believed it was.

Bo looked at Lauren, she had them there. And even though Trick would have something to say about all this, he'd understand why they did it. "Yeah, it is. So, have you found anything?" Bo brought her to sit in between them on the edge of the bed.

"I've had to translate most of the pages, but I think I found something that might work…" Bella flipped the page. "… It's a spell that'll allow me to send one of you to limbo. Once there, you can find Shay and send her soul back to her body. I'd go myself, but I won't be able to search for her and do the spell at the same time" it was risky, but anything was something.

Except, Bo didn't like the sound of it. "That sounds _too_ dangerous Bell. Travelling through the realms never comes without consequences. Trust me, I know. I don't want to risk losing you too"

"I'm gonna have to go with your Mom on this one sweetie. As much as I want Shay back, we can't lose you in the process" Lauren agreed with Bo one hundred percent.

"Mom, it'll be fine. I already have it figured out. I'll tie your souls to me before I do the spell. You'll have a clear route back. I can pull this off, please let me save her" Bella had to do something.

But there was still something that confused Lauren. "You make it sound so simple. But I'm guessing there's more to it. Especially since Trick found this book too dangerous to leave on his bookshelf. So, what's the catch?" She wanted the truth.

Sighing, Bella knew she'd have to tell them. "Every spell in this book, is ridded in Dark Magic. It's gonna take all my power to pull this off. And there's also the added risk of me becoming _addicted_ to it"

"Addicted, how?" Bo needed more.

"This kind of magic draws from dark places. The feeling of that much raw power, can be seductive. Sorcerers who've used it in the past, almost never recover from it. But I will, because I'm not just any Sorceress. I know the difference between good and bad. I won't get sucked in" Bella promised them.

Lauren still didn't like it. "I dunno Bella, it sounds like a lot"

Bella turned to her, "Mom, I promise you; I can do this. I can help you bring her back. Remember when I asked you to have more faith in me? I really need you to do that now" she wanted to save her sister.

"Lauren?" Bo called to her. "She's ready. I can sense it" she honestly could. Bella had grown into so much power. She wasn't worried about her at all.

"She better be…" Lauren said, giving her youngest a hug. "… Because I won't survive losing another daughter" she meant that.

 **Shay's Bedroom**

Ethan had been sitting with Sasha for the last twenty minutes or so. And the more he looked at his sister's pale face, the more he wondered how long it would be until his own number was up. It was starting to become all he thought about.

"Do you think she's in a nice place?" Sasha asked, finally breaking the silence. "I've never read into the whole Heaven and Hell thing. I just hope she's not suffering" she couldn't bare that thought.

He was worried about it too. "So do I"

They were interrupted when the bedroom door opened, Bo and Lauren entered carrying a few items. With Bella following behind carrying a large black book. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'm gonna need the room" she said it as politely as she could.

Sasha got up, taking a step back with Ethan. "What're you gonna do? Have you found a way to bring her back?" She hoped they said yes.

"We're not sure yet, but Bella's gonna try…" Lauren gave Bo the candles so she could light them. "… Sasha, I know you wanna be with her. But we're gonna need you to step out for a few minutes. You too Ethan"

Ethan had to stop Sasha from objecting, "Whatever you need. Come on Sasha, let's get a drink downstairs" he took her out of the room.

Bo jumped on the bed beside Shay, "Knife?" She looked at Bella, who handed her a small throwing knife. She made a small cut on her left palm, and then the same on Shay's right. After giving the knife back, she joined hands with her daughter and laid down on the bed. "Good to go" she took a breath.

Bella and Lauren stood on either side of them. "If you can't find her after ten minutes, call my name really loudly and I'll bring you back. A living soul can't survive over in Limbo for long. Best not to push our luck"

"I got it" Bo promised.

Closing her eyes, Bella began to chant the ancient words. And already, she could feel the dark magic begin to course through her. With her Mother joining hands with Shay, she was connected with her. So once Bo was over there, she'd be drawn to her soul.

"See you soon Mom" Bella touched her Mother's head, putting her to sleep.

 **Limbo**

 _Bo's eyes opened. And she found herself in a white mansion, covered head to toe in marble. "Is this Limbo, or a museum?" She walked around, trying to focus on where she was being drawn to. She didn't have much time. "Shay!" She called for her, but got no answer._

" _A little lost, are we?"_

 _She felt nothing but anger when she heard that voice. Turning around, she saw Ronan's smug face. "You know, for a dead guy you look awfully happy"_

 _He'd been here since he passed. But was having a hard time settling on a destination. Maybe he wasn't ready to cross over yet. "Well, you kinda have to roll with the punches when you end up here. Besides, I died happy knowing that I ruined your life with my last breath…" he laughed. "… My condolences, about Shay"_

" _Why don't you stick them up your ass! I'm not here to catch up with you!" Bo moved passed him, "Shay!" She called for her again, "Shay, please! If you can hear me, we gotta go!"_

 _Ronan appeared next to her again, "You're wasting your breath you know. Shout all you want, she's not gonna hear you. Not where she is" he looked away._

 _Bo spun around, "Why not?! Where is she?!" She didn't have much time left._

" _Funny, we both arrived at the same time. But as soon as we got here, Shay was taken. Well, I guess 'claimed' would be the more appropriate term" he replied._

" _Claimed? By who?" Bo didn't understand this._

 _Ronan smirked, this made his afterlife. "Come on Bo, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. Think about it…" he loved to see her helpless. "… Your daughter dies, and is sent to a supernatural waiting room. Hybrid souls are rare, and coveted. One person took full advantage of her arrival"_

 _Bo grabbed his throat, "I swear to god Ronan, if you don't tell me where she is I'll kill you again. And this time I'll make sure all that remains of you will be air!"_

" _You've angered a lot of people in your long life Bo…" he told her, escaping from her grip. Her threats were empty here. "… One person in particular, is more pissed than the others. So naturally, when he saw Shay's soul arrive, he snatched her right up"_

" _He?" Bo had a feeling she knew where this was going. All Ronan did was laugh. "No, that's impossible!"_

 _This was her problem, and Ronan saw it. "When're you gonna wake up?!" He asked her. "Anything, is possible! Especially in our world" that was the beauty of being Fae._

 _Suddenly, Bo felt her body get lighter. She was being sent back to her body._

 _Her time was up._

* * *

 **A/N: So, Shay was the casualty. And looks like things are getting even more complicated. Who do you think 'He' is? I've decided to extend the story by two chapters. Let me know what you thought.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Time for Trick's blood writing consequence. Hope you get it when you read it. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Bad Gains Are True Losses**

 **Reality**

Bo shot up on the bed, gasping. She was sweating profusely from the journey. That took a lot out of her. But she was trying to navigate through what Ronan told her. If he was telling the truth, then things had just gone from bad to worse.

"Bo? What is it? Did you find her?" Lauren was at her side, she had to admit that being here while Bo was under terrified her. It also worried her that she saw Bella smile wickedly when her daughter was chanting the spell. They had to watch that.

"Kind of" Bo tried to get a hold of her breathing. She needed to adjust to being back in the living.

Bella felt a little tired from that spell, but honestly it also felt like it fuelled her. That spell was awesome. But she also felt the power luring her into the darkness. She couldn't let it. "What'd you mean, _kind of_?"

Averting her eyes away from her daughter, Bo just looked at Lauren. "We need to talk"

Lauren was already panicking. "Bella? Go to Charlie's room, see if she's okay. I need a minute with your Mom. But you did good, okay?" She gave her a smile, then closed the door after she left. "Tell me what happened" she sat beside Bo on the bed.

"I saw Ronan…" Bo started with that. "… Since he and Shay died at the same time it makes sense that he's there. But he told me Shay was claimed as soon as they landed there"

Frowning, Lauren had never heard of such a thing. A soul couldn't be claimed once they were dead. Could they? This was Trick's territory. "Claimed? By who Bo? Who claimed her?"

"My Father" A knife went through Bo's heart as she said the words. And she could see the same reaction on her Wife's face.

"Ronan told you that?" Lauren didn't want to believe it. She couldn't. "Bo, you can't believe a sing word that comes out of his mouth! You know he's only saying this to mess with you-with us!"

Bo didn't think so though. "Lauren, he has nothing to gain from messing with us. Not anymore. You didn't see the look on his stupid face. It was a look of pure satisfaction. He got a kick out of telling me. Knowing that our victory came with a price..." she sighed. "... And when he said she was claimed; I knew it was Jack. I could sense it"

Lauren just started shaking her head, "No! We killed him over twenty years ago! That blessed weapon was supposed to obliterate his soul. How can he be alive?" She couldn't believe this.

"Technically, he's not…" Bo said. "… But I'm guessing when I killed him, his soul was sent back to Hell. And being the all powerful God that he is, it doesn't surprise me that he found a way to move between the realms" classic Jack.

"If he's been able to do that all this time, then why hasn't he come for you? He must want revenge for what you did" Lauren didn't know him well, but everything she'd heard from Ethan and Shay's future selves was enough.

Bo wondered that to. "Maybe he can't. Maybe his soul is bound to the afterlife, and all the realms that live within it. Shay was with me that day, when I killed him. At least, a version of her was. He must've remembered her"

"But why take her?" Then Lauren realised. "Unless, he wants to use her to try and come back. Even when we die, our souls still hold our powers" she knew that.

This made Bo so sick to her stomach. "I can't believe he's doing this again. We went through so much to fix their future, and now he's back to screw it up all over again. We need to figure out how he'll use her. What's his plan?" She was lost.

Something she always used to be years ago.

"To be honest, I'm a little more worried about what he'll _do_ to her…" Lauren only had one thing in mind. "… You didn't see inside Shay's mind back then Bo—you didn't see what he did to them. He's a monster! We can't just leave her with him!" she remembered everything Shay's future self showed her before.

The punishments.

The daggering.

The abuse.

She couldn't let her daughter go through that. "It was that kind of trauma that made her the emotionless killer we met twenty years ago. I made a promise to her that I wouldn't let her become that person, and I intend to keep it!" She'd never forget that day.

Bo sat up, holding her hands. "And I'm gonna help you keep it, I promise. We're not leaving her there. We just need to go to his realm and get her back. Bella can—"

"Bella _can't_!" Lauren stopped her. "You should've seen her when you were under Bo. Her face when she was chanting—" she let out a breath. "The feeling of all that dark power made her smile. She _liked_ it. I already lost one daughter to death, I won't lose another to darkness" she wasn't going to do this anymore.

"Okay!" Bo stood and brought her into a calming hug. "Okay. I hear you. We won't use magic. This's the Fae world, there's always another way. I'm gonna go and see Trick, he'll know what to do. He always does" she gave her a small smile.

Lauren hoped that was true. "And what if he doesn't this time?"

Bo had no choice but to remain optimistic. "Then we'll keep looking!" She had to yell. " I am _not_ , going to let my Father come back now and ruin our lives. He doesn't get to do that! This's _my_ family, not his!" She calmed herself. "Just, stay here. I'll be back" she kissed her cheek, then left.

After she left, Lauren rounded Shay's bed and sat next to her. " I promise sweetie…" she moved a lock of hair away from her cold face. "… You won't become that person. I won't let him do that to you" she was hell bent on keeping her promise.

 **Hell – Hades' Castle**

Ticking.

That's all Shay could hear, was the ticking of a clock. She opened her eyes, and saw the most unusual chandelier hanging over her. It was made of a metal she'd never seen before. Then she realised she was laying on something. She sat up, finding herself in a massive room with a bed beneath her.

"This is, strange" she was so confused.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming from the two big wooden doors on her right. She jumped up, and looked around for the nearest weapon. She found a sword mounted on the wall, so she took it and held it ready.

The door opened, and a woman walked in. Her clothes were torn, and she looked as if she hadn't had a shower in weeks. Not to mention the steel collar around her neck. "Please, there's no need for that. I'm not here to hurt you"

"Really? Then why don't you tell me who you are, and how the hell I got here?" Shay wasn't dropping the weapon until she knew what was going on.

The woman sighed, she wasn't privy to all the information. "I cannot discuss this matter with you. Please…" she gestured to the door. "… The King wishes to speak with you. He can answer all of your questions"

"King?" Shay was lost. How the hell did she end up in a King's house? She could sense that this woman didn't want her to hurt her, so she dropped the sword. "Why did the King take me from Limbo?" She remembered that much.

"The King doesn't give a reason for the things he does. Given his superior status, he doesn't need to provide one. I'm assuming he took you because you're important. As for why, I cannot answer that. We must hurry, he despises tardiness" the woman went to the door.

Shay had a question before they left. "What's that made of? I've never seen anything like it" she pointed to the chandelier she saw when she woke up.

"Human remains" The woman answered simply, then led her out of the room.

What scared Shay wasn't the fact that it was made of bone, but how easily it rolled off the woman's tongue. Clearly, things like that were common here. Which only made her wonder, what the hell was this place?

 **Throne Room**

On the way over, Shay looked at every window and all she saw was darkness. But she kept following the woman to the King's Throne Room. When she got there, she saw an older man sitting on the throne. "So, you're the King?" She'd never seen him before.

"I am…" he smiled at her. "… Leave us!" He addressed the slaves in the room. He got up, and walked over to her. "You really are the spitting image of your Mother" he couldn't get over it.

"Which one?" She asked him, he replied; Bo. "So, you know my Mom?"

He nodded, "Oh yes, intimately…" he chuckled. "… Where're my manners? You must be thirsty, can I offer you a drink? Or maybe something stronger? You could probably use it after the day you've had" he gestured to his personal bar.

"You're right, I could…" A drink sounded so good to her right now. "… Whiskey, neat" her favourite.

Obliging, he walked over to the bar and fixed two glasses. "I'm glad you're a whiskey girl, it means you have class" he handed one to her, giving it a knock with his own.

Shay didn't know who this guy was, or why he was so intrigued with her. She took a sip, then laughed. "Look dude, I appreciate the drink. But, why don't you tell me what I'm doing here? You don't mind me calling you that do you? Or, would you prefer your Majesty?" She didn't bow to anyone.

He just laughed, swirling his drink in his glass. "I've had many names over the course of my long life. As for the formalities, they don't apply to you Shay"

She didn't like the way he was looking at her right now, as if he knew more than he was saying. "Who are you?"

"My name, is King Hades. Famously known as the God of the Underworld. And also, your Grandfather…" Jack watched her face become shocked. She was clearly confused. "… Bo is my daughter"

Shay didn't say anything, she just drank what was left of the whiskey and helped herself to some more. But it still wasn't enough. "My Grandfather is the God of the Underworld…" she had to repeat it, it was real. "… Is that where we are?"

He nodded, "More or less"

"What'd you mean? Are we, or aren't we?" She needed a straight answer.

"Years ago, I had dominion over a place called Tartarus. But, your Mother banished me from that realm. So, I was sent back here…" he looked around the room. "… To my first creation" he finished his drink.

Shay still didn't get it. "And where _is_ , here?"

Jack met her gaze, "You're in Hell, Shay"

She almost had a heart attack, but quickly recovered. "Huh. Funny, I've always known I'd end up here sooner or later. I'm not exactly a model citizen, _topside_ " she wasn't ashamed to admit that.

"No, you're not…" he smiled. "… You're a rule breaker, like your Mother. But, _unlike_ her; you don't try to pretend to be someone you're not. You own it. You're fearless. I'd like to think you get that from me" he gave her a wink.

"Okay, uh; Hades, is it?" She didn't know what to call him. But he he told her to call him Grandpa, because that's what he was. "Yeah see, I already have one. His name's Trick. You can't expect me to be so open with you. We _just_ met!"

Was he crazy?

But there were things Jack knew, that clearly Shay was oblivious too. "She never told you, did she?" He had to laugh, his daughter really was a piece of work. "This isn't our first encounter Shay"

She frowned, "What're you talking about?"

"When I said your Mother banished me from Tartarus, I was being careless with the truth. Twenty-six years ago, she entered my realm with one goal in mind. To kill me. And she succeeded, that's how I ended up here" He explained it.

"What's that gotta do with me?" She didn't get it.

He took steps towards her, "She wasn't alone in her quest. _You_ , were at her side. And you were rather angry with me. When Bo told me who you were, I was confused myself. I knew I had no Grandchildren at the time, but there you were" he remembered it so clearly.

Shay shook her head, "This makes no sense!" She shouted at him. "If this's some kind of joke, it's not funny! I think I'd remember you" she never forgot anything.

"No, you wouldn't…" Jack took the glass from her and set it aside with his own. "… Come with me, there's something I want you to see. Don't worry, you can trust me" he gave her a charming smile.

But Shay wasn't buying it. "I'm in Hell, and _you're_ the guy who runs it…" she let out a sarcastic chuckle. "… That'd make you the Devil. Being trustworthy isn't in your nature"

He bowed his head, this girl was sharp. "True. I can be a bit _devilish_ sometimes. But, it's different with you. You're my Family—my blood. I only want to show you something. There's no catch. Besides, it's not like you have anything better to do"

Sighing, Shay realised he was right. She was stuck here. Although, she was hoping her Parents were trying everything on their end to get her back. They wouldn't leave her here, would they? "If I go with you, it doesn't mean I trust you" she made that clear to him.

And he understood. "Fair enough. Follow me" he led her out of the room and into the hallway.

They walked down a long hallway, and as they did Shay could've sworn she heard screams echoing around her. She was to scared to ask where they were coming from. This was Hell, after all. Her journey came to a halt when they reached a dark room. "Is the power out or something?" She saw no lights.

He looked at her with a smirk, then snapped his fingers. The room was covered in a warm glow from hundreds of candles that hung on the walls. As well as another chandelier. "Better?"

"Much…" Shay nodded, "… So, what's this thing you wanted me to see?" She didn't see much around. Just glass jars and boxes.

"This's where I keep all my special relics…" he told her. "… One in particular, is very rare. Care to take a look?" He waved her over to one of the stands. Opening up a black box, and reaching inside. He held a small spray bottle.

She just laughed, "What's that? Chanel No. 666?" It looked like an old perfume bottle.

He had to admit, that was funny. "I promise you, Chanel's got nothing on this!" It was precious to him. "It's a very special kind of mist. The main ingredient, is Unicorn blood"

And now she was grossed out. "What? Unicorn _blood_?!" She made a face. "Dude, that's disgusting! Please don't tell me you actually wear it!" She wanted to vomit.

"It has no scent…" he said. "… And it's not meant to be worn. The properties within have a unique ability. See, Unicorns are fifth dimensional creatures. They can experience thousands of worlds and lives all at once" he found them fascinating.

"Good for them, I guess?" She wasn't sure how she was supposed to take that.

He lifted the top off the nozzle. "Good for _us_ too!" He exclaimed. "See, another thing I should've mentioned earlier; is that I already know everything about you Shay. And your brother, Ethan. All because of this wonderful invention" he waved the bottle about in his hands.

This encounter was giving her the creeps. No wonder her Mother didn't tell them about him if he was this crazy. "And what exactly do you think you know about me?"

"I know that you're in love with a young Valkyrie named Sasha…" he'd gotten her attention. "… I know you're relentless when it comes to getting what you want. You're overprotective, headstrong, love challenging authority and making bad guys suffer"

"A little Unicorn mist, told you all that huh?" She asked.

He decided to get to the point. "Let's see what it tells _you_ , shall we?" Without warning, he sprayed the mist in her face.

Shay coughed as she inhaled the cloud of dark purple mist. And just like that, she felt her brain being torn into two. Floods of memories flashed before her eyes, things she'd never experienced but in another way she had. Because they were her memories, just of a different life.

She saw a ruined world.

She saw her Mother dying at the hands of her other one.

Her brother stabbing her in the heart.

Sasha beaten, with her wings clipped.

And Hades, who she now knew as Jack. And in another life; her Father.

Shay fell to her knees, breathing deeply. She didn't know how but those memories had melded with her current ones. It was like she'd lived two lives. "You evil bastard!" she lifted her head, looking at the man she loathed.

"There's my girl!" he clapped his hands, laughing. He'd used this mist years ago. And thanks to its wonderful abilities, he now had the memories of two lives. Of a future that was never fulfilled. "I've missed you Shay" he continued to smirk at her.

 **Clinic – Trick's Room**

Traffic was crazy.

But it wasn't too bad, it gave Bo time to try and think about a plan. Though, it was never that simple. She came up empty on that front. But she finally managed to get to the Clinic. Since Ronan was gone now, and the threat was over; Dyson had Trick placed back in his room at the Clinic. He still needed to be monitored.

Bo ran straight to Trick's room, and found him in the middle of tearing out his I.V lines. "Trick, no!" She stopped him from moving, she could see it was killing him. Emotionally and physically. She asked a nurse to come and check him over, she gave him the all clear. "You're no good to us dead Trick. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I know about Shay…" he calmed himself down but he was still devastated. "… Why didn't you call me Bo?" He demanded an answer. "You're my family, and I have to hear about her from Dyson!" He was powerless in this bed.

Bo felt bad for not calling him, but she had her reasons. "I'm sorry, but I was a little busy consoling my Wife!" She took a calming breath.

He cried, "This's all my fault"

She was confused, "What? How'd you figure that?" He didn't kill Shay, how could he think this was his fault?

"My blood!" He exclaimed. "Writing in it only ever brings about suffering and death. My own Granddaughter" he wiped his tears.

Bo gave him a hug, "I didn't come here to blame you Trick. I can't go back and change what happened. The fact of the matter is, Ronan was just too smart for us. Certainly smarter than Zee and Hera ever were"

"Have you tried summoning her spirit from Limbo?" Trick asked, composing himself. "Just to see if she's okay" he couldn't imagine how scared Shay must be right now.

"I did one better; I actually went there…" she explained to him how Bella borrowed a book from his vault to send her there. He was mad, but he got over it. "… Ronan was there. He told me that Shay's soul had been claimed by someone else"

Trick didn't like the sound of that. "By who?"

"My Father…" she told him. "… I think he's taken her to his realm. But what I'm having a hard time understanding, is that I banished him from Tartarus when I killed him. How could he go back?"

Sitting up, Trick explained it to her. "There're four levels to this world. One, the Higher Heavens…" he pointed up. "… Two, Earth. Three, otherworldly realms such as Valhalla, Limbo, and Tartarus-"

"And the fourth?" Bo asked.

"The lowest of the low…" he said. "… More commonly known as the Underworld. Or, Hell. When a soul is banished from the otherworldly realms they have nowhere to go but down. When you killed him, he was most likely sent back to his original domain. The Underworld he created at the dawn of time" he'd read the stories.

And boy, did they explain a lot.

"Are you telling me, that my daughter is in Hell?" Bo exhaled loudly, rubbing her tired eyes. "She must be so scared. And if she's stuck with him, who knows what he's doing to her—" she remembered something Lauren said. "Is it possible for him to use her power to return to Earth?"

Trick wasn't so sure about that. "I can't say for sure without seeing evidence of a similar situation. But he must've claimed her for a reason"

"Trick, I know you don't like messing with this kind of stuff but is there any way for me to go down there and bring her back with me?" She needed an answer.

He thought hard, "Well, that book Bella stole-sorry, borrowed; is full of spells that have the power to do what you're asking. But they're rooted in Dark Magic. If Bella uses them, she will be at risk of succumbing to it. Surely, there's safer way…" he thought again. "… What about Freya?"

"The Mistress of Valhalla?" Bo remembered her from the day she killed her Father. She and Shay were able to get to Tartarus because of her. "You think she'd really help me again? I wasn't exactly nice to her the last time we spoke"

Trick didn't have any other options. "Maybe she'd be a little more forgiving, if you went to see her with someone who knows her well"

Bo understood where he was going. "Tamsin…" Just because she hadn't served her Mistress in years, didn't mean that Tamsin wasn't free to come and go through Valhalla as she pleased. It was after all, the home of her kind. "… Last I checked, she hates it there"

"Perhaps she'd be willing to set her hatred aside if it meant her daughter could be happy again. Sasha will be lost without Shay, she loves her just as much as we do. Maybe more. Tamsin's not the emotionless mercenary she was when we met her. She's your only hope Bo" he was sure of it.

And she knew he was right. "Yeah, okay. I'll call her and tell her to meet me at the Dal. You, stay in bed. We've lost too much already, we won't loose you too" she kissed his head gently.

Without Trick, Bo would be lost. He was a part of her conscience, he told her what was best for her. She shouldn't need someone to do that at her age, but she wasn't afraid to admit that she did. He was her voice of reason. And she needed him around.

"Bring her home Bo" Trick wanted his Family back to the way it was.

Bo was determined, "I won't stop until I do" she wasn't giving up.

Not ever.

 **The Dal - Later**

Her talk with Trick helped, and it was good that she didn't have to worry about him killing himself trying to get out of bed. The bar was closed, given that they were in a family crisis. She helped herself to a few shots of vodka. It was needed. She poured another glass when she heard Tamsin come in. "Thanks for coming T"

Tamsin took the offered shot, and knocked it back. "Yeah of course, anything you need. Look Bo, I'm really sorry about Shay. I can't imagine what you and Lauren are going through. It kills me to see Sasha going through all this pain. If there's anything I can do, just say the word"

"I'm so glad you said that, because I need a favour…" It was good she offered first. "… To cut a long story short, my Father has Shay down in the Underworld. I need you to take me to Freya, she's the only one who can open a portal to his realm"

Stammering nervously, Tamsin took a breath. "I dunno Bo, I'm not exactly welcome down there anymore. Not since I renounced my status. They're not big on starting families. I did, so they shunned me. I'm not even sure the Gates will open for me"

"Tamsin, you're my last hope…" Bo was desperate. "… If this was you, and Sasha was the one who'd been taken; wouldn't you do everything you could to save her?"

It was against her better judgement, but Tamsin couldn't tell Bo no. She'd never forgive her, and neither would her own daughter. "Alright, I'll try to get you in. But _if_ Freya agrees to it, and sends you down to the Underworld; I can't go with you. Valkyries are forbidden from going there"

"Forbidden?" Bo didn't get it.

"Yeah, ever since Freya tricked your Pops with her necklace; he got really pissed. He placed a boundary around his Kingdom in Hell, forbidding any Valkyries from entering. It's the first thing we learned at Valkyrie school" Tamsin had grown up on those stories.

Bo was amazed at the lengths her Father went to. "Sounds like him. Wait, you said _Kingdom_? Does he have a house or something?" She was confused.

Tamsin thought Bo would've read up on this. "Not a house; a _castle_. And _he_ is the King down there. Hell's just like every other realm, it has its own civilisation. Except, it's all slaves. Humans and Fae who've ended up there after death. He puts them to work"

"Well, I'm gonna make sure his Kingdom falls…" Bo had given herself a mission. "… I told Lauren I wasn't giving up, and I'm gonna make good on it. I need my daughter back. So, are we good to go?" She was ready to do this.

Honestly, Tamsin had missed this. It was like the good old days, when Bo led their team with fierceness. "You know me Succubus…" she smiled at her. "… I'm always up for a fight. And this isn't just over some grudge; this's family. Shay's like a daughter to me too. Who knows, maybe she will be someday"

"Yeah, maybe…" Bo had to laugh at that. "… If you'd told me when we first met that we might end up being in-laws, I would've laughed in your face"

Tamsin laughed too. "And yet, here we are. So, let's take one last drink. Just for old times sake…" she poured two more shots of vodka. They clinked their glasses and knocked them back. "… Now, let's go get your girl" she was ready.

Dyson probably wouldn't approve of her going on a mission this dangerous. Her sister Valkyries, wouldn't take kindly to her entering Valhalla after being shunned. But she was doing this for Bo, and for her daughter. Sasha's happiness meant more to her than anything.

"Let's do it" Bo led her out of the bar, she had weapons in her car ready for when they got there.

It was time to save her daughter, and kill her Father.

Not necessarily in that order.

But more importantly, she was going to live up to the promise she made to her Wife.

* * *

 **A/N: See, this is the only form of Valkubus I will ever enjoy. When they team up. I'm sorry to anyone who still ships them, but they just didn't make sense to me. Anyway, hope you're all loving the last few chapters. We've got four more to go. Leave me your thoughts.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Three more to go!**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Highway to Hell**

 **Valhalla**

Getting through the gates was easier than Tamsin thought. She didn't think saying the ancient words would work. But they did, and here they were. As they got to the lobby, everyone's eyes were on them. "Take a picture, it'll last longer!" She was sick of their stares.

"Tamsin, easy!" Bo calmed her down. "Let's just go to Freya's office, once she sends me down there you can go home" she remembered where the office was, after coming here with Shay years ago.

They got to the door, and instead of knocking and waiting; Bo took a page out of her daughter's playbook. They had no time for subtly. She opened the door and let herself in. "Remember me?"

Freya lifted her head from her papers, laying her eyes on everyone's favourite Succubus. "Who can forget the infamous Bo Dennis?" She saw Tamsin walk in behind her, setting down a small duffle. "You're not welcome here"

"She's with me" Bo said.

"Like that's supposed to mean anything! _You're_ not welcome here either! I told you that twenty years ago. You and that abomination you have for a child!" Freya stood from her desk in anger.

Bo went to lunge at her but Tamsin held her back. "What did you just say about my daughter?!" She struggled in her friend's grip.

Tamsin didn't come here for this, and it was just wasting their time. "Bo, stop it! This isn't getting us anywhere. Freya?" She looked at her former leader. "I know you despise me, and you have every right. I abandoned you, and my sisters. I can only apologise"

Freya held her hand up. "Your apologies mean nothing to me Tamsin…" she rounded the desk. "… You know, I always had high hopes for you. You were top of your class at the academy, and I believed you could replace me one day. But alas, you chose love over your own kind"

"Yeah, I did. Best decision I ever made. I have a Husband I love, and a daughter I adore more than anything in a world. Mark my words, she'll be the strongest of our kind. But I'm not here for any of that, we need a favour" Tamsin didn't care to be here much longer.

Laughing, Freya sat on the edge of her desk. "A favour? You think you can just waltz into _my_ realm, and demand a favour from me just like last time? What could you possibly need from me?"

"I need to get to the Underworld, to my Father's Kingdom…" Bo wasn't beating around the bush. "… The only one who can send me there, is you"

Freya had so many questions, "Let me get this straight. You came here over two decades ago, asking me to send you to Tartarus so you could kill the all-powerful Hades. You succeeded, and now you want to go down to his Palace to what? Have a do over?" she found it hilarious.

"He has my daughter!" Bo got angry again. "I need to get her back. So, are you gonna send me there or not?"

" _Not_ " Freya had great satisfaction letting her down.

Tamsin didn't think Freya would be this childish, but if this's how she had to treat her then so be it. "You know, it wouldn't do well for your image around here if the other girls saw you as an abandoner"

Freya made eyes at her, "Where'd you think you're going with this Tamsin?"

"I just wanna remind you about that time in 97' when you sent _four hundred_ of our sisters to their deaths, _just_ because they weren't living up to their potential. If the girls knew, their devotion for you would vanish along with their respect. But, they don't have to know, not if you work with us" Tamsin had missed blackmailing people.

It was such fun.

"Wow…" Freya couldn't believe this. "… Threats, Tamsin? What makes you think the girls will believe you? You're not one of us anymore!" She wasn't going to let them do this to her.

She was right about that, Tamsin knew the girls wouldn't trust a word she said. "I filmed the whole thing Freya…" she had her insurance. "… I might've been your favourite soldier, but I knew if ever pissed you off you'd make me regret it. I had to protect myself"

"You little bitch!" Freya spat in anger. "I want that tape!" She demanded it.

"You work with us, and _maybe_ we can figure something out…" Tamsin loved the power she held right now. "… If you do as we ask, and send Bo down to the Underworld; I give you my solemn promise as a Valkyrie, that I won't show that tape to anyone"

Freya shook her head, "No! You give me the tape or we don't have a deal"

"You think I'm stupid?" Tamsin frowned at her. "If I give you the tape, I lose my leverage. Then nothing'll stop you from coming after me in the future. You're gonna have to take my word for it"

"You swear?" Freya asked.

Tamsin held one hand up, and the other over her heart. "May Odin strike me down dead if I don't" saying the all father's name, meant business around here.

Which was why Freya knew she was telling the truth. "You know you can't go with her…" she told Tamsin. "… If a Valkyrie sets foot in Hell, we die. She's on her own"

"I'm aware" Bo knew what she was signing up for. She bent down and opened up the duffle they brought. There was no way she was going down their unarmed. She reached in and took out her favourite dagger holster, securing it around her right thigh.

But instead of sheathing an ordinary dagger, she brought the very weapon Ethan's future self had made all those years ago. The one blessed with enough power, that it was strong enough to kill a God. It should do the trick. She hid a few throwing knifes in her boots.

And to round it off, she strapped a gun holster to her left thigh. She wasn't a gun person, but she loved tranq guns. And her lovely Wife developed a strong knock out serum to put enemies out for hours.

Freya just laughed at her ensemble. "Bit much, don't you think?" She'd seen SWAT members with less gear.

Bo stood straight, loading the gun. And looked to Tamsin to help her with an ammo belt around her waist. "Let me give you a piece of advice Freya…" she looked at her while Tamsin secured her belt from behind. "… You may think nothing matters to you. But when you have children, everything changes"

"Well then it's a good thing I don't plan on having kids" Freya hated children.

That made Bo laugh, but it was fine. "Then be prepared to live a miserable and _lonely_ eternity. Your Valkyries love you, sure. But the love I get from my kids is worth more than any kind of loyalty. Tamsin had the right idea when she left this place"

Tamsin had to agree with Bo on that one. "No regrets" she gave Freya a smile.

"Well, this's been _fun_ and all; but I've got a realm that needs running. So, can we get this over with?" Freya was done with this.

"All you" Bo waited.

Freya raised her hand, but glanced at Tamsin first. "When she goes, I expect you to be gone too…" she got an agreement from Tamsin, then used her power to open a portal for Bo. "… Good luck"

Bo gave Tamsin a nod, "When you get back, tell Lauren where I've gone. She won't be happy, but I'm hoping she'll understand"

"You've met Lauren, right?" Tamsin looked at her dumb. Lauren never understood anything that had to do with Bo putting herself in danger. They laughed about it. After-which, Tamsin gave Bo a fist bump. "Do your thing, Succubus" she was rooting for her.

"Thanks, Valkyrie" Bo was glad for the support. So, with one last breath of courage, she stepped into the portal.

It shrunk into nothing until it was gone, and so was Bo.

Freya just looked at Tamsin, "Now it's your turn to vanish. And Tamsin? Let's _not_ do this again" she went back around her desk and sat down.

Tamsin had to laugh at that, Freya was such a bitch. "Have a nice life Freya" she wasn't going to say anything more. So, she grabbed the duffle Bo left and walked out of the office. She was happy to leave this place behind.

She was done with Valhalla.

 **Hell**

The portal opened, and threw Bo out into a large room. The walls were made from stone. And not the nice kind. The air was hot and humid. Honestly it wasn't a good feeling being here. She heard cheering coming from down the hall, and a lot of it. She decided to follow it, her weapons at the ready if need be.

Lifting the tranquilliser gun from her holster, she held it steady. Not sure if she'd need it soon. As the cheering she heard got louder, she knew she was getting closer to finding what it was in aid of. She moved slowly, not knowing if someone would pop out from somewhere.

She got to a large cage door, lifting the latch she let herself inside and continued on her path to locate the sound. The hallway she walked down got smaller, it was like she was in a cave. She realised she had no idea where she was going. Suddenly, she saw a woman with a steel collar around her neck. She was obviously one of her Father's slaves.

But she was also Bo's only hope of finding Shay. Quietly, she snuck up on her. Poking the gun into her back, "Don't make a sound…" she whispered to her. "… I don't wanna hurt you, I'm just looking for my daughter. My name's—"

"Bo Dennis…" the woman answered. "… Daughter of King Hades. Everyone knows who you are. And as for your daughter, taking you to her is impossible"

Bo spun her around and pushed her into a wall, "I don't care! I want to see my daughter, _now_!" She just replied that she couldn't. "Look lady, I've had a really crappy week. You may be in hell, but I promise you; if you don't take me to my daughter, I'm gonna make this place seem like Disney Land. You got me?!" She shoved her into the wall harder.

"With all due respect, taking you to Shay is something I _cannot_ do. Not because I don't want to, but because she's indisposed at the moment" the woman said.

"Why? Where is she?" Bo asked, letting her go.

The woman stood straight, "She's in the arena, as punishment for striking King Hades in the face. He was very angry" she'd never seen anyone hit him, she wished she knew what it felt like.

"The arena?" Bo realised now. "That's where the cheering's coming from? How long's she been in there?" The woman told her half an hour. "And he hasn't pulled her out?"

"He did, but then she tried to stab him; so, he put her back in" The woman didn't see that coming when it happened.

Bo was proud of Shay for fighting, but she had no idea what happened in this arena. Given that they were in Hell, it couldn't have been good. "How's she fairing?"

The woman smiled, "Well, she's currently undefeated. And there's some strong opponents in there. You've taught her well"

Suddenly, they heard a loud scream. Bo ran to the nearest window, though she couldn't even call it that. It was more like a hole in the wall. She saw into the arena, and saw a man stabbing Shay in her shoulder. It killed Bo that she couldn't help her.

But she didn't have to worry for long, because Shay pulled the knife from her shoulder and jammed it into the back of his head.

Funny, Bo hadn't seen Shay act this savagely before. Well, she had. But that was back when Shay's future self was with them. Bo also didn't recall teaching Shay a technique like that. How did she know to kill like that? And it looked like she was enjoying it.

"What has he done to her?" Bo had to know.

The woman looked over to arena. "That, I'm not sure of. But I can tell you whatever it was, changed her. When she arrived, she seemed so innocent. But now, she just reminds me of the King" she was being honest.

Bo wasn't even going to respond to that. She noticed as she was watching her daughter fight, that Shay was cut up, bruised, even stabbed and yet she wasn't healing. At least, that's what it looked like from here. Did she have her powers in this place?

Before Bo could ask anything else, the sound of a horn went off around them. "What's going on?"

"He's ending the fight…" the woman replied. "… He's probably hoping she's learned her lesson"

"You obviously don't know my daughter" Bo never got Shay to see the error of her ways. She was just too stubborn. Lauren was the only one who could ever get through to her.

"He'll take her back to the dungeons. She has a private cell to herself. I can sneak you in, but after than you're on your own. I have enough to suffer for, without adding treason to the list" The woman was just trying to save her own skin.

Which Bo was fine with, as long as it got her to Shay. "Is there a way out of this realm once I have her? Valhalla and Tartarus have an entrance on Earth, this place should have one too"

That's when the woman decided to laugh, "There's no way out of this place…" she told her. "… Hell is the one place you can never escape. The King has enough power to send you home but he'll never do that. Not after what you did"

"Yeah yeah, I know. I'm a horrible daughter, spare me the speech. I've heard it all before. Look, just take me to my daughter. I'll figure out the rest myself" Bo didn't know what she would do, but she had to get Shay first.

"As you wish, follow me" The woman led her down the hallway, making sure to look for trouble as they went.

 **Dennis Household**

It had been hours since Lauren had heard from Bo. And now she was getting worried. She'd called her dozens of times, and even had Bella try to locate her with magic but she just said she couldn't get a read on her. Which was very strange.

There was nothing Lauren could do for Shay, her body was dead and her soul was gone. So, she decided to check in on Charlie. She'd been sitting with her for the past hour, treating her wounds with Ethan's help. "I know it hurts sweetie, but you have to stay still"

She'd been trying to run a salve on Charlie's bruises, but they were causing her so much pain she kept moving. Lauren was hoping she would've healed but given the amount of injuries she had, her healing ability was maxed out.

Ethan held her hand, "Hey, just focus on me. Okay? Talk to me, about anything. Like, that time we went camping two years ago. Do you remember?"

Charlie breathed through her pain, "Yeah, I remember"

"Good. Remember how, when we were making smores and Patrick accidentally set himself on fire? That's gotta take your mind off the pain, right?" He laughed, remembering.

"A little" Charlie laughed so hard that night.

That seemed to do the trick, as Lauren was done with her work. "I started out hating that day…" she told them. "… Camping is my least favourite activity. But then, when we were all around the fire, having a good time; it felt nice. Until, Patrick's leg caught fire. Then it was ruined"

"Is Mom back yet?" Charlie asked.

Lauren went to stand next to her, touching her bruised cheek. "Not yet sweetie, but she will be soon. You just focus on getting some rest, okay? Don't worry about anything" she kissed her head.

It wasn't hard for Charlie to fall asleep, she was so tired. So once she dropped off, Ethan and Lauren left the room. "Between me and you, I think there's a lot of things to worry about" he told his Mother as they entered the hallway.

"Like?" Lauren asked.

"Like, _where's_ Mom? Why haven't we heard from her since she left? I called Grandpa, he said she went to meet with Aunt Tamsin. I've tried calling her too but she's not answering—"

"That's probably because she's downstairs…" Patrick interrupted them. "… She wants to talk to you, it's about Mom" he looked directly at Lauren.

Who had a knot in her stomach, what could possibly be wrong now? "Make sure you stay up here. Play some video games, or hang out with Bella. Just, _don't_ come downstairs. Aunt Tamsin and I need to talk in private" she watched Patrick go to his room.

Ethan didn't know what he was supposed to do. "Should I stay with Charlie? In case she needs anything?"

Lauren shook her head, "No, she'll be out for a while thanks to the painkillers I gave her. I actually need you with me. You're the only other grown up here, and I could use the support"

"That's all you'll _ever_ get from me Mom" he smiled at her, then followed her downstairs. Where they saw Tamsin waiting with Sasha in the living room.

Tamsin told her daughter to go to the car, but Sasha wanted to hear what she had to say. "Bo's in the Underworld. She had me take her to Valhalla so Freya could send her there. She told me to come and fill you in. And before you get mad, she knew you wouldn't let her go if she told you. So, she's hoping you'll understand why she didn't"

Taking a breath, Lauren turned away. She couldn't believe Bo would do this behind her back. Actually, she could believe it but that didn't mean she was okay with it. "I wanna hate her so much!" That wasn't possible though. "She should've told me!"

"Mom, I know you're upset. But it's not a big deal, we'll just go down there and get her. Problem solved" Ethan figured it was so simple.

Tamsin had to tell him otherwise though. "No go buddy. The only one with enough power to send you there is Freya. My old Mistress. And judging by how much it took to get her to send _Bo_ , I don't think she'd be open to a repeat. There's nothing anyone can do, not from here"

Then Lauren thought of something. "What about Bella? She was powerful enough to send Bo to Limbo, maybe she could open a portal so we could go down there. Bring her down here please" she tapped Ethan's shoulder, watching him run off.

"Lauren, even if you get there; you'll never survive. That place is Jack's personal playground. He runs every inch of it. Nothing goes on without him knowing. Even Bo knew that, and she went anyway" Tamsin warned her.

"That's because Bo never thinks of herself!" Lauren got mad. "She never understands, just how important she is to this family. It leads her to make stupid decisions! And I wanna hate her but I can't!" She exhaled.

Tamsin took Lauren aside, "You know why she makes those stupid decisions, right?" She knew Lauren was having a rough time, but she also knew that Bo wouldn't want her going to the Underworld. "She does it because she loves you. And the kids. I never understood the way she did things before, but becoming a Mom opened my eyes"

"To what?" Lauren asked.

"That there's no such thing as logic or reason when your family's in danger. Bo's doing what she does best; she's saving the day. The only way she knows how. You can't go down there Lauren, she wouldn't want you to" Tamsin hoped to get through to her.

Lauren understood everything she was saying, but it didn't make a difference. "What if it was Dyson who was in trouble?" She turned it around on her. "Would you wait at home? Or would you do something about it?"

Sighing, Tamsin had to tell the truth. "I'd go after him, or die trying"

"And that's exactly why I can't just stay here…" Lauren heard Bella come down the stairs with Ethan, wondering what she was needed for. "… I know you're probably pretty tired from earlier, but I need to ask you something"

"Anything" Bella didn't care.

"Is there any way, you can open a portal to the Underworld?" Lauren had to be sure it was possible first. Because if it wasn't then this was all for nothing.

Bella though it over, "Uh, there isn't exactly a specific spell for it. But that doesn't mean I can't craft one myself. It's gonna take me some time though, unless—" she paused, but then just shook her head. "Never mind"

Ethan stepped closer to her, "Unless what?"

The only reason Bella didn't bring it up was because she knew her Mother wouldn't approve. Not after what happened earlier when she sent Bo to Limbo. "If I use normal magic, it'll take me a while. But I might be able to cut some corners, if I use dark magic again"

Lauren immediately shook her head, she wanted Bo back but she wasn't going to put Bella in danger in the process. And Bo wouldn't want her to either. "No, not happening. Not after what I saw earlier"

"I can handle it…" Bella told her. "… Besides, what other choice do you have? If we wait too long, then something bad might happen to Mom. It's just one spell. It's not like earlier, I had to keep that chant going to give her enough time in Limbo. Opening a portal is different"

Not knowing what to do, Lauren looked at Ethan. He normally had words of advice, but right now he was quiet. This really was their only choice. "Alright. But the _second_ you start to feel different, I want you to stop. Portal or no portal, got it?"

Bella nodded. "Got it. I'll go get my book" she ran off upstairs.

"You think she can really do it?" Ethan asked.

Lauren didn't have any doubt. "Oh trust me, she can do it. I just don't want her to get sucked into that dark power. It doesn't matter how strong her will is, it'll overtake her eventually. We'll just have to keep an eye on her. I won't lose anyone else"

She was taking a stand.

"You won't, I promise" Ethan gave her a side hug. Knowing she could use it.

 **Hell**

Bo had been following the strange woman for almost ten minutes. They had to keep stopping to hide so the Guards wouldn't see them. Finally, they made it to a dark corridor. "Shay's cell is down the hall and on the right. The Guards never bother to stay down here, since the Prisoners are so well behaved" they never spoke back.

In fear of what punishment would await them if they did.

"Hey? What's your name?" All this time Bo never bothered to ask.

"Gloria" she said.

Bo held out her hand, waiting for Gloria to take it. "Thank you Gloria, I don't know what you did to deserve ending up here. I can only apologise for the way my Father's treated you" she shook her hand.

"I appreciate that. It's clear that you're nothing like him. Good for you" Gloria gave her a smile, then left to return to her duties.

After she left, Bo walked down the hallway. Hearing the moans of other beaten prisoners as they sat in their cells. She didn't expect anything nice considering this was Hell, but her Father truly was a monster. She got to the end of the hall, and turned to her right like Gloria said.

It didn't help that it was so dark down here. "Shay? You in there?" She tried to call out to her. "Please kid, if you're in there answer me"

Shay emerged from the shadows, her arms were covered in cuts, she had bruises on her face and a split lip. "Why're you here?" Her tone was dry.

"What'd you mean, _why_ am I here? To take you home, what else?" Bo noticed her daughter's body language, she seemed different. Just like in the arena. "Shay, what's he done to you?"

"What he always does…" Shay said. "… He tortured me"

Bo hated seeing her so broken. "I know, I saw what he made you do in the arena. Don't blame yourself for those deaths, you were just defending yourself. You survived" she wasn't mad at her.

But Shay just frowned at her. "Why would I blame myself? Killing is what I'm good at. What I've always been good at. He made me _this_ " she gestured to herself.

Okay, no Bo was confused. "Shay, I don't understand. You just met him, how could he have changed you so much?"

Shay walked towards the door, holding onto the bars. When she looked at her Mother, she saw happy memories of her childhood, but mixed within them were the _unhappy_ ones. The memories of her and Bo fighting, shouting at each other from her other life.

And the worst one of all, when she saw her slit Lauren's throat when she was three years old.

"It's what _Father's_ do, isn't it?" Shay gave a cryptic answer. "I gotta say though, Taft's fighting cage's a picnic compared to this" she just laughed.

Bo frowned, "How'd you know that name?" She and Lauren never once mentioned Isaac Taft to their children. He was someone they left in their past.

"Kinda hard to forget a guy who tortured and experimented on innocent Fae. Me, being one of them. The memories have been coming back in pieces but, they're becoming clearer now" Shay said.

"What memories?" Bo didn't like this.

Shay just looked at her, "Memories of watching you slit Mom's throat, being raised by that psychopath, being beaten, punished-" she had to pause before she spoke again. "Having a _dagger_ slice through my heart!" she felt it. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Bo didn't know what she was supposed to say. She didn't even know how this was possible. Did her Father do this? _How_ could he do this? To give Shay her memories of her former life, it just wasn't feasible. "Shay, we can talk about all this when we get home. Right now, we need to leave"

"There's no escape from this place!" Shay yelled. "And even if you managed to get me out of this cell, you can't take me home. I'm dead" she didn't think it was possible.

"How can you be dead Shay? You're here. You're flesh and blood…" Bo pointed to her wounds. "… Last I checked, ghosts don't bleed. We'll figure out the rest later, but we have to go!" She tried to break the handle of the door. But it wouldn't pudge.

Shay watched her struggle. "You don't think I've tried that? If I can't break the lock, then there's no hope for you. Being Fae means nothing here. Why'd you think I'm not healing? I'm not a Hybrid here, I'm just a girl" she realised she didn't have her powers when she got punched in her first fight. A guy split her lip and it didn't heal.

Bo didn't know what to do. Then she remembered. "Well, I might not be a Succubus here. But I'm still a Mother…" she unsheathed the blessed dagger from her holster. "… A Mother, with a dagger blessed with a ton of dark magic!" She brought the blade down on the lock, and sure enough; it broke in half.

To be honest, Shay didn't think she'd do it. But she remembered the blade. "You kept that thing, all this time?" She waited for her Mother to open the door.

"Of course I did, this thing saved our lives" Bo replied.

"I know, I remember" Shay nodded.

Bo took a moment to look at her, she looked like she'd been through the ringer. "I'm so sorry this happened to you sweetie. And I'm sorry we didn't tell you about your other life. We just wanted you guys to be happy. Can you forgive me?"

Sighing, Shay stepped closer to her. "The old Shay would be stubborn about it and probably hold a grudge. But, I'm trying to suppress her. I won't lie, the new fighting skills came in handy. But, I remember how dark I was, and I don't wanna be that person again. I get why you didn't tell us"

"You don't have to be that person if you don't want to" Bo said.

Shay fell into her Mother's arms, hugging her tight. "I was so scared when I got here. And that's saying something coming from me. I didn't think you'd come for me" she was scared of that too.

Bo pulled back, "You're my daughter, Shay. I will never give up on you. Besides, I know what my Father's capable of. I wasn't gonna let him hurt you again. But I guess my timing was poor" she hated that she was too late to save Shay from her Father's evil.

"You're here now, that's what matters" Shay went in for another hug.

Suddenly, they broke apart when they heard clapping. "You've just made my afterlife. Hello Bo" he smirked at her.

"Father" Bo stared him down.

The two of them caught in a battle.

The only question was; how would it end?

* * *

 **A/N: Oooh, Bo and Jack come face to face. What's gonna happen?! Give me your reviews, I love to hear what you think.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Daddy/Daughter showdown!**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: The Devil's Daughter**

 **Hell**

Jack stood there, with two of his guards. He sensed Bo as soon as she entered his realm. But he wanted to see how things would play out. "Well, I must say; _that_ , was very moving. Nothing like a good old Mother/Daughter reunion to warm your heart"

"Says the man without one…" Bo knew he didn't have one. Not someone as evil as him. "… I'd say it's nice to see you but, we both know I'd be lying. I'm taking Shay, and I'm leaving. Try and stop me, I dare you" she showed him her special dagger.

He remembered it well. "You think that scares me?" He laughed at her. "You forget yourself Bo. You're not in _your_ world, you're in _mine_. I'm a King. _Nothing_ , scares me! Besides, if you kill me; then you've got no hope in _Hell_ of returning Shay back to her body. Pun intended" he worked it in.

Bo wasn't going to believe his lies. "Liar! Her heart's beating, that means she's alive. And if she's alive, then I can take her home. What do you gain by keeping her here? She has no powers so you can't use her. So, what is it?"

"Simple…" he said. "… Holding Shay here, hurts _you_. Or is there some other reason?" He always had an ulterior motive. "I guess it's just something you'll have to find out later. But in the meantime, how about some dinner?"

"I told you, we're leaving" Bo didn't want his stupid dinner.

Jack shook his head, "Oh really, and how'd you intend to do that? Do you even know how to get home? You didn't think this through, did you? I'm the only one who can send you back, and I don't feel like it right now" he was being childish about it.

Anything to piss her off.

He had her there, Bo didn't think about getting back. She just wanted to get to Shay. Because if she could do that then she could figure out the rest later. She wasn't a _Plan_ kind of girl. That was Lauren's territory. She could only imagine what her Wife was thinking right now. No doubt Tamsin had told her about this trip.

"Why're you doing this?" She asked him.

"I'm a King, I don't need a reason…" he gave her the most devilish smile. "… Now, you can either follow me to the dinning room, or my Guards will drag you there kicking and screaming"

Bo held the tip of her dagger under his chin, "I said, _we're leaving_. And as long I'm carrying this, I'm the one calling the shots. So, send us home; or I'll slit your throat. Good luck healing from that without your powers"

He laughed, "I never said _I_ was without mypowers…" he used his hand to push her away, watching her roll onto the floor. "… What kind of King would I be without them?" He grabbed Shay by her hair, holding her for Bo to see. "I'm sick of your defiance Bo. First, you kill me. Then, you break into my realm and threaten to do it again. It's like you _want_ me to get angry"

Recovering, Bo got to her feet. She still had the dagger, but now he had Shay. "Let her go!"

"That's one option. _Or_ , I could do this—" he plunged his hand through Shay's back, wrapping his hand around her heart. Hearing Shay scream was music to his ears. "What's worth more Bo? Your daughter's life, or taking mine?"

Bo watched Shay begin to spit blood from her mouth, she couldn't believe he'd do that. If she gave up this dagger then there was nothing stopping them from getting killed.

He'd have all the power.

Which was how he liked it.

"Wow, are you _actually_ thinking about it? I don't know about you Shay, but I'm a little shocked with your Mother. She's _actually_ debating, where or not to save you. And you always said _I_ was a bad Father" he spoke in Shay's ear.

At this point, Shay didn't care if her Mother chose the dagger over her. At least this piece of shit would be dead for good. "Do it Mom—" she coughed up more blood, feeling the ache in her chest. "Kill him!"

Sighing, Bo shook her head. "I can't!" She lifted her gun from its holster and dropped it to the floor, along with the knifes she'd brought and her ammo belt. "I'll always choose you Shay" she threw the dagger over to her Father, watching it fall by his feet.

What kind of Mother would she be if she let her daughter die?

Jack's smile grew wider, "And there it is, compromise…" he pulled his hand back from Shay and healed her before pushing her over to Bo, who embraced her. He picked up the dagger, wishing so much that he could destroy it but he knew it wasn't possible. "… Follow me" he turned around and walked down the hall.

Bo held Shay under arm as they followed him. She really wished she'd told Lauren now, maybe then they could've worked out a back up plan in case this went south.

Which it had.

 **Dennis Household**

Bella had been hard at work, reading over her book of dark magic and had finally found the spell she was looking for. Only, there was a slight problem. One her Mother wouldn't be happy with. It required a lot of Dark energy, which would mean she'd have to embrace it completely.

If she did then there'd be no coming back. She didn't want that for herself.

So, she spent the rest of the time creating a new spell. One that worked a little differently, but still had the same goal. To bring Bo and Shay home. But she was going to need a few things. She grabbed a pen and paper from her room and ran downstairs.

When she got there, she noticed Tamsin and Sasha were gone. Her Mother said they went home, Sasha still wasn't dealing with Shay's death very well and Tamsin was worried about her. No one could blame her. Patrick was told to stay with Charlie upstairs, just in case she needed something.

Bella grabbed some salt from the kitchen and began pouring it on the floor in the shape of a circle. Salt was a Sorceress' main tool. And she was so glad they hadn't run out.

"All this to open a lousy portal?" Ethan never thought it'd be done like this.

Bella shook her head, finishing the circle. "This isn't to open a portal. Turns out, that particular spell requires a pretty big sacrifice. Let's just say, it's not worth the risk. But, I've come up with another way to get them back" she began writing Bo's name, and Shay's on two separate pieces of paper in ancient Fae runes.

"Which is?" Lauren asked.

With the papers written, Bella looked at her Mother. "I'm gonna summon them. But, there's a hitch in my plan. I need a part of them, to bring them _here_. The easiest solution is blood. I can use _your_ blood to represent Shay since she's half of you. But for Mom, I'm gonna need her _actual_ blood. Using mine isn't strong enough" she thought she'd be able to since she was half of Bo.

But the spell didn't allow it.

Luckily for her, Lauren had a solution. "Leave that with me, just make sure everything else's ready. I'll be right back!" she walked to the back door, and out to the garage where her home lab was situated. She needed a bigger space, so they renovated it.

A few months ago, Bo was infected by a slimy UnderFae. Ethan gave her his blood to heal her, but Lauren still wanted to make sure she was cured so she drew some blood and kept it in a chilled storage unit.

Human blood would've expired by now, but because Bo's blood was Fae it was stronger. And lasted longer when stored. So, Lauren grabbed a vial and ran back into the house. "There you go, straight from the source. Is that all you need?" She handed the vial to her daughter.

"Pretty much, I just need yours and then we're good to go" Bella burnt the papers with their names on it, and left the ashes in a bowl. She poured Bo's blood into the bowl, and then waited.

Lauren told Ethan to grab her a small knife, when she had it she sliced her palm and squeezed it over the bowl Bella was holding. Pain wasn't an issue. Getting her Wife and Daughter back, was.

"All you sweetie" she gave her a wink, then stepped back watching her hand heal up instantly.

Bella mixed the blood and ashes, then poured it over the circle of salt. She used her magic to ignite it. A ring of Fire rose from the mixture of salt and blood. "Here goes nothing" she closed her eyes, and began chanting a strange language.

Since she was so new with this, it was going to take a while for her to prefect it, she just hoped it wasn't too late already.

 **Hell**

Bo sat across from Shay at the dining table, while Jack sat at the head. He'd laid out quite a spread. She wasn't even going to begin to comprehend how all this was possible. Food, drink, lights, all other luxuries that shouldn't be possible in a place like this.

Jack was loving his rib-eye steak, but could see the girls weren't in the dining mood. He recalled having similar problems with Shay when she was young. In their other lives. "Veggies Shay…" he tapped her plate with his knife. "… Eating them will make you stronger"

Shay picked up a carrot, and threw it across the room. "You won't like where I put the next one" she warned him.

He just laughed, so immature. So he turned to Bo. "Are you worried it's poisoned?" He asked her.

"The thought crossed my mind" She answered.

He just laughed, "Believe me, if I wanted to kill you I wouldn't poison you. That's no fun. I'd just slit your throat. I love watching people struggle as they cling to their last breath" he said it as if it was a completely normal thing.

But it wasn't.

"You're psychotic, you know that right?" Shay looked at him, he hadn't changed. She kept remembering everything about her past life.

"I prefer the term, _high spirited_ …" he stared at her, giving her a smirk. "… And if I recall correctly, you used to enjoy the same type of fun. Slaying those who annoyed you. It made me proud to be a Father"

Shay banged her fist on the table, "You're not my Father anymore!" She looked at him with such disgust. "You never were, and you never will be again. Got it?"

He raised his eyebrows, hearing her talk to him in that kind of manner. "I see the old Shay is shining through. Honestly, I think you've had it quite easy…" he turned to Bo. "… Raising Shay and Ethan the right way, instead of _my_ way"

"I undid the damage you inflicted on them, not that it matters now…" Bo hated it that Shay could remember everything. She and Lauren had spent years trying to erase everything her Father had done. To give Shay and Ethan a good childhood. "… I know what you did to them. Made me glad that Aife gave me away"

She couldn't begin to imagine what her life would've been like if he'd raised her. Or the monster she'd be now.

Jack placed the blessed dagger on the table, showing his authority over them. "Careful girls, you're starting to hurt my feelings. It'd be a shame if this slipped out of my hand and into someone's heart. Wouldn't you agree?" He wasn't going to take back talk.

"I couldn't give a shit…" Shay said, "… Go ahead, stab me. At least I'd be rid of you!" If death was the only way to get out of here then she'd consider it.

"Something I don't understand…" Bo spoke. "… Why claim Shay's soul at all? What's your angle?" She knew what he was like. "Is it to steal her power? Must be hard to do when she doesn't have any" she didn't understand what his aim was.

He sighed, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "I claimed her for two reasons. _One_ , it would hurt you. And _two_ , I always thought more of Shay than I did Ethan. He was so righteous and noble, it made me sick. My influence didn't affect him at all. But it affected you" he turned to Shay.

"Are you talking about how you turned me into a killer? Yeah, I remember. And it wasn't something I was grateful for!" Shay lifted her plate, "This's what I think of you!" She threw it to the floor, along with the rest of her food. "I don't want anything from you. You're nothing!"

While Shay distracted him, Bo glanced at the dagger. He wasn't watching it anymore. So she took a shot, and grabbed it. She stood behind him and placed it under his chin. "One move, and you can say goodbye to your vocal chords"

Jack didn't see that coming, but as his guards were about to storm in, he sent them away. Telling them he could handle it. "Is that smart?" He asked her. "After all, I'm the only one who can send you home"

"Well, if there was ever a time to bargain, it'd be now. Send us home, and I'll let you live. Don't, and I'll kill you right here" Bo wasn't playing around.

"Then you'd be stuck here forever" He said.

Bo shrugged, "At least _you'd_ be gone. Who knows, maybe this place will grow on me. What's it gonna be, _Dad_?" She drew blood under chin, hoping it would provide some incentive.

But Jack wasn't easily manipulated, or beaten. "I'll take option three; _my_ way!" He elbowed her in the stomach, and disarmed her. As she was about to get up, he grabbed the dagger and tried to stab her, but she was holding him off.

Shay went to help, but she suddenly found herself feeling rather woozy. Like she was floating, until she saw a bright light.

Then nothing but black.

 **Dennis Household**

It felt like Bella had been chanting for hours, because they kept watching and nothing was happening. The ring of Fire was still there, and growing brighter. But nothing else. Also, Lauren noticed that Bella was starting to bleed from her nose. This was obviously hurting her. "Bella, you have to stop!"

"NO!" Bella yelled, she wasn't giving up. "I'm almost there, I can feel it!" She kept chanting.

Just as Lauren was about to pull her away, the circle grew even brighter. The flames rose, and when they went out; Shay was standing in the circle, while Bo was on the ground with none other than Jack over her. He had the blessed dagger in his hands, ready to drive it through her heart.

Sensing the change, Jack looked away from Bo and to his surroundings. This wasn't his dining room. And he saw Ethan a few feet away, along with Lauren and another young girl he'd never seen. "Well, this's awkward"

Ethan acted first, running faster than ever and tackled the man to the ground. Punching him repeatedly. He used every inch of his Hybrid strength. But it didn't seem to make a difference, because not long after he was thrown across the room.

"You never learn boy!" Jack got up, dusting himself off. Looked like Ethan hadn't changed in this life. He always had to be the hero.

"Ethan!" Shay went to check on him, helping him up. Looking at him, she remembered everything from her former life. He'd protected her in both lives.

Ethan smiled at her, "Good to have you back" he never thought he'd be this happy to see someone who annoyed him so much.

Bo pulled Bella away from Jack's reach, backing up into Lauren who also couldn't believe Jack was here. "Bo, he's got the dagger" she saw that he held the blessed blade in his hand.

"That's right, I do…" Jack smiled, holding it up. "… Which means I hold all the power. I have to say, I didn't expect to be resurrected. But clearly, I misjudged just how powerful your children are. You have my sincere gratitude, sweetheart" he gave Bella a smile.

And she didn't care for it. "I'm not your sweetheart. But you're right, we are powerful. And we hate it when people steal our things" she held out her hand, using her magic to take the dagger away from him. She caught it in her hand, and gave it to Bo.

Bo had to laugh, she loved her kids. "Who's got the power now?" She looked at him.

"Well, I must say I'm impressed…" he didn't think any of his Grandchildren would possess the power of magic. "… You know, with the proper guidance, you could go very far" he sensed a hint of darkness in this girl, but it was new. It hadn't always been there. Maybe she'd been experimenting with Dark magic.

Still, there was potential there.

Bella backed into Lauren's arms. "I'm good, thanks" she didn't need any guidance from someone like him. She could sense the evil within him. It made her feel horrible.

"I'm getting a bad case of déjà vu right now…" Jack said. "… Do you feel like kicking me in the face again like last time? What about you Shay? This's your last chance to get true revenge" he raised an eyebrow to her, laughing.

"I'm ready for you to go back to Hell" Shay replied. She didn't even want to look at him anymore.

Such a simple answer, Jack was unimpressed. "Na, I think I'll stay. Thanks to this little one here…" he pointed at Bella. "… I've been given a second chance. One I don't intend to waste"

"I find it hilarious you think it's a choice…" Bo wasn't going through this again, she'd spent twenty-five years trying to undo the damage he did to her kids. She wasn't going to let him come back and do it all over again. "… Bella? Hold him please"

Bella was happy to, and held him in place with her hand. "He's strong, I can't hold him for long" she could feel him fighting it.

"Ethan? Help her out, I'm ending this!" Bo waited for Ethan to join hands with Bella so she could use his power to magnify her own. With Jack frozen in place, she approached him with a smirk. "And here we are again. When're you gonna learn not to piss me off?"

Jack struggled, he was trying to fight it so badly. But Bella was strong. Too strong for a girl of her age. He underestimated them again. And he was going to pay for it. "Third time's the charm" he remembered each time Bo had stabbed him with that blade.

Once, when he inhabited a shapeshifter as a decoy when he poisoned Shay years ago. Then _again_ , when Bo came to Tartarus.

"You wanted to be King, now you are. So, do me a favour?" Bo held his left shoulder and drove the dagger through his heart with her right hand. "Go back to Hell, and stay there!" She twisted it, hearing him scream. "Goodbye, Father" she hoped to never utter those words again.

With a foot on his chest, she pulled the dagger back and watched him fall to the floor. His body began to crumble into pieces of dust, until there was nothing left.

Bo turned around, seeing the smile on Lauren's face. She smiled back, and held her hand out. Once Lauren took it, she pulled her over and into a kiss. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you" she hugged her tight.

As much as Lauren wanted to be mad, she couldn't. Because once again, Bo had more than proved herself. And pulled off the impossible. "Forget it, it doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're back…" she kissed her again, then pulled away to see Shay. "… Both of you. Get over here!" She waved her over and engulfed her in a hug, she didn't want to lose her again.

Bella hugged Bo, "I didn't mean to bring him back with you, who was he?" she'd never seen him before. "You were in Hell, so was he the Devil?" that's what was coming to mind.

Bo didn't want to talk about Jack, he wasn't important. "Yeah, he was. You don't have to worry about him now. And I don't blame you. What you did was amazing. If it weren't for you, Shay and I would be stuck down there right now. You saved us" she hugged her again.

While they were all having their family moment, Ethan was feeling confused. That man, almost felt familiar to him in a way. And what he said to him after he threw him across the room. He said, Ethan would never learn. As if he knew him. There was more to this. And he had a feeling his Parents knew all about it.

Whether they would tell them though, was another issue all together. So he decided to change the subject for the moment. "Hate to cut this moment short but, what about the body upstairs?" he had to ask. "I mean, how can there be two of you?" he looked at Shay.

"I can answer that…" Bella raised her hand. "… I added something in the spell that brought you guys here. I made it so you'd have corporeal form when you returned, which basically means this's you now. Your other body vanished as soon as you stepped out of the circle. You're welcome to check" she said to her brother.

Ethan shook his head, "I'll take your word for it" far be it from him to question a Sorceress.

Lauren could tell Shay was different, "Hey? Are you okay?" she hoped to god Shay wasn't traumatised. Being in Hell couldn't have been nice.

"Yeah, I'm good. I just wanna shower, and then see Sasha. She's probably freaking out. I think it might be good to see her too" Shay let go of her Mother and walked upstairs.

Bo knew she'd have to explain to Lauren what happened, so she told Ethan and Bella to clean up in the living room while she took Lauren upstairs to talk.

 **Bo & Lauren's Bedroom**

As soon as they got into the room, Lauren knew something was wrong because Bo closed the door after them. Probably in case the kids heard them. "Okay, you've officially got me worried. What's going on?" she sat on the edge of the bed.

Bo joined her, "It's Shay. Jack did something to her while she was down there. He found a way to give her the memories of her _other_ life…" she made eyes at her hoping she'd catch on. "… She remembers everything Lauren. Coming back from the future, what happened when she got here, and everything she had to suffer with when she lived with him"

"Oh my god!" Lauren covered her mouth in shock, "How the hell was he able to do that?" Bo told her that Shay didn't say. "Is she okay?" even though she asked her earlier, Shay said no. Which obviously wasn't the truth.

"Not really, but I don't know how we're supposed to help her. She's got the memories of two lives, it must be so confusing for her…" Bo sighed, dropping down next to Lauren. "… Bella asked me if Jack was the Devil. We never told the kids about him"

Lauren rested her chin on Bo's shoulder, cuddling her side. "Well, we agreed it wasn't important. But that was when we thought he was gone for good. Is he really dead this time?" she has to ask.

And Bo nodded. "Yes. One hundred percent. This was just a freak accident. I had no idea you were trying to bring us back when he grabbed me. Or I would've pushed him away a lot quicker. I didn't want them to ever lay their eyes on him. He's done enough damage"

"Maybe it's time we come clean with them…" Lauren said. "… They're not kids anymore Bo. They're all adults. They can handle it. Or, is it because you're scared of what they'll think of you when they find out who he is?" she knew Bo too well.

"A little" Bo muttered.

She didn't even like hearing it herself. Being the daughter of Hades wasn't something that was fun. And she didn't want her kids to see her in another light.

Lauren used her hand to turn Bo's head towards her. "Hey? You're their Mother, and they love you. I love you too. And I certainly didn't feel any different when I found out, and neither will they. You're nothing like him Bo" she gave her a kiss.

"I wanna believe that, but a part of me _must_ be. He's my Father, there's gotta be something inside me that's half of him" Bo had to consider it.

"Genetics doesn't determine your nature babe…" Lauren didn't believe that for a second. "… Even if someone's born of evil Parents, doesn't mean the child would be evil too. It's all about nature versus nurture"

Bo had to laugh at that, "And we all know my nature, don't we?" Her nature was to feed, like all Succubi do. But she had made a decision. "What'd you say we wrangle the kids and tell them all about the Grandfather they never knew?" It was time to tell them.

"Don't you mean the Grandfather that's currently finding a new home in our vacuum cleaner?" Lauren could hear it in the distance from downstairs.

"Him too" Bo chuckled, getting up and bringing Lauren with her as they went downstairs.

 **Later**

Bo decided to help with the clean up first, before they spoke to the kids. And just as they finished, Charlie finally woke up from bed. She was feeling a lot better, the rest really helped. Bo asked them all to sit on the couch while she and Lauren stood opposite.

"You guys are probably wondering why that guy seemed to know me so well. Honestly, it's something we— _I_ , should've talked to you about. His name was Hades, and he was my Father" she finally said it.

They all just stared at her, except for Shay. She just stood against the wall with her arms folded. She didn't want to talk about him anymore.

"Hades?" Patrick repeated, "As in, the Greek God of the Underworld? Is that why I love Greek yoghurt so much?" It was a genius even question.

Charlie frowned at him, "Did you seriously just ask that?" What kind of question was that? "He's gotta be adopted, right? I mean, I can't be the only one who thinks that" he was so dumb.

"Screw you! It was just a question!" Patrick defended himself.

Lauren clapped her hands loudly. "Stop it! Charlie, leave him alone. He's not adopted. Believe me. And if I didn't heal instantly I would have the stretch marks to prove it" he definitely wasn't adopted.

"Gross!" Bella made a face.

Bo got her attention again. "Anyway, I just wanted you guys to know, that just because my Dad is the Devil, doesn't mean there's evil inside you too. That's why I didn't tell you. It can drive you crazy thinking about it, trust me" she knew all too well.

"He called me, _boy_ …" Ethan said. "… The way it sounded, was as if he knew me. Did he?" He kept going over it in his head.

Lauren glanced at Bo, who didn't know what to say. So, she had to help her out. "He met you when you were a baby, that's why you don't remember him. After that, your Mom banished him to Hell. This's the first time we've seen him in over twenty years" the last bit was the truth.

But it all made Shay turn her head away with a laugh, her Parents were so determined to keep the truth from Ethan. A part of her wanted him to know, but another part of her didn't. Because she didn't wish this feeling on anyone. It was like she didn't know who she was anymore.

Was she the old Shay?

The one who killed for pleasure and relished in people's pain and suffering.

Or was she this Shay?

The one who loved her family, and did what her Parents told her to do.

She needed time to figure it out. And she couldn't do that here, it was too hard. She needed to leave. "I'm gonna head over to see Sasha. I'll be back later" she turned around to leave.

Bo expected that, "Let her go…" she grabbed Lauren's arm before she tried to stop her. "… She needs time"

"Is she okay?" Charlie asked, she never seen Shay so quiet.

"She's fine, she's just adjusting to being back in the land of the living. None of us can understand how she's feeling. I'm sure some time with Sasha will help" Bo would bet good money on it.

With the truth out in the open, the four of them dispersed to their rooms. Leaving Bo and Lauren on the couch. Bo sat against a cushion while Lauren cuddled into her side. "How can we help her with this?" Lauren referred to Shay.

Bo honestly didn't know. "Maybe there's a way we can undo what he did. I tried asking her but she won't tell me. But she might tell _you_ " she knew Lauren was Shay's favourite.

"I dunno about that…" Lauren thought back to how Shay was in her other life. That girl, never listened. "… With those memories back, she might revert to being the closed off, emotionless, sociopath she was when I met her" this was so weird to talk about.

"That's your daughter you're talking about" Bo reminded her.

And Lauren knew that. "I'm just saying, maybe talking to her isn't what we need to do. After everything she's been through maybe she doesn't want to talk about it. We should just find a way to undo it"

Bo was fine with that, but there was one problem. "And how're we supposed to undo it, if we don't know what _did_ _it_ in the first place?"

She was right about that. So, Lauren decided to take matters into her own hands. "I'll go over to Sasha's and talk to her. The sooner, the better. Are you gonna be okay here?" She got up from the couch.

"Yeah, I think I'm just gonna change out of these clothes and then have a large drink. It's been a _hell_ of a day, get it?" Bo smirked at her.

"Hilarious babe. I'll be back in a bit" Lauren gave her a kiss, then grabbed her keys and jacket before walking out of the house.

* * *

 **A/N: Looks like Shay's taking it a little harder than we expected. Will Lauren be able to get through to her? Come back next time. Let me know what you thought.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: The Penultimate chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Damaged Goods**

 **Sasha's Apartment – Later**

It took Lauren a while to get here, traffic was horrendous. But she finally made it, she just hoped she wasn't interrupting a moment between them. She'd learned that the hard way before, when she walked into Shay's room to get her laundry and found them in an intimate situation.

Never again.

She knocked on the door, it didn't take long for Sasha to answer it. "Hi Sasha, sorry to be a pain. Can I speak to Shay for a second? I need to discuss something with her"

Sasha sighed, "You actually just missed her…" she was still a little confused about the whole thing. "… When she got here I couldn't believe it. She was alive again. Thank you for that by the way"

"It was actually Bella's doing…" Lauren didn't want to take credit for it. Bella went over the mark and she was proud of her. "… So, what'd you mean she's gone? She was so excited to see you" that's the impression she got earlier.

"Everything was fine at first, and then she started acting strange. It was like she was seeing me differently or something. I can't really put my finger on it. When I asked her what was wrong, she got defensive and left. Is she okay?" Sasha was worried.

This was worrisome.

Lauren didn't want to scare her any more. "I just thinks it's the stress of the day. You know, dying, then coming back. It takes a toll. Don't worry, I'll find her. I'll have her call you when I do" she gave her a smile, then left.

 **Downtown – Later**

After checking every place her daughter would've gone, she then realised that maybe those places weren't relevant to Shay anymore. Not now that she had her old memories back. There was only one other place Lauren could think of, and that was the Apartment she lived in with Shay before she knew who she was.

Only, after everything went down; the building was abandoned. No one lived there anymore. Lauren drove down there, she felt nostalgic entering the building. Having spent so much time here once upon a time.

She got to the apartment, and found the door open. She walked inside, "Shay?" Her voice echoed through the room. "Please sweetie, I just wanna talk" she stepped further inside.

Suddenly, Shay walked in from the balcony. "There's nothing to talk about. I'm fine"

"Really? Then why'd you come here?" Lauren asked, she didn't believe her.

"I dunno…" Shay honestly didn't. "… One minute I was with Sasha, and I was happy. And then the next, I kept seeing flashes in my head—" she touched her head again, seeing more. "I saw her bleeding, beaten, and without her wings"

Lauren remembered that day, Sasha was thrown through a portal by Jack after he'd tortured her and cut off her wings. It was an awful sight. "Is that why you left in such a hurry?" She explained that she'd been there already.

Shay nodded, "I couldn't look at her without seeing that image in my head. I had to get outta there. Is she mad at me?" She couldn't bare that.

"No baby…" Lauren shook her head with a smile, stepping closer to her. "… She's not mad. She understands you've been through a lot. We all do" she touched her arm.

There was still one thing Shay wanted to know. "Were you _ever_ planning to tell us?" She meant herself and Ethan. "Or were you just gonna keep it a secret forever?"

Sighing, Lauren decided to come clean. "Honestly? No, we didn't plan on telling you. And you of all people know why, especially now. Look what these memories are doing to you. The knowledge of them is causing you pain Shay. We couldn't do that" she and Bo made a choice not to tell them.

And they believed it was the right one.

"Jack didn't have a problem doing it. Because that's what he does, he ruins people's lives. I remember, every horrible thing he did to me-to us. Because of the memories, I feel like I'm being pulled in two different directions. I'm nothing but damaged goods now" Shay broke, falling into her Mother's arms.

Crying.

Lauren held her tight, stroking her hair like she always did when Shay was sick or upset. "No you're not! Don't ever think that! I know who you are. You're Shay Ysabeau Dennis. You're the strongest person I've ever known. You're my little girl, and I love you _so_ much" she kissed her head.

"How can anyone love someone as damaged as me?" Shay didn't know what to do, or how to go on after this.

But Lauren wasn't standing for that kind of talk. She held her face, pulling back to look at her. "Hey! What did I just say? You are not damaged!" She wasn't letting her think that. "You're _perfect_. Okay? Don't ever think less of yourself. You have a strong heart, just like your Mom. The heart of a Warrior"

Her kids had much of Bo in them. Including her will to keep fighting, no matter how bad things got.

"I don't think having a Warrior's heart is gonna help me much now…" Shay turned away from her, "… I feel like my brain is tearing into two separate pieces. One, is the person I've been for the last two decades, and the other is the person I was when I came back from the future. How can I live like this?" She really wanted an answer.

The more Lauren heard how she was feeling, the more she wanted to undo what Jack had done. "Maybe you won't have to. We can find a way to suppress those old memories. But, you need to tell me how you got them in the first place. What did Jack do to you?"

Shay hadn't told anyone yet. "He sprayed me with this stuff, one of the ingredients was Unicorn blood. Apparently, they're fifth dimensional creatures or something" she wasn't an animal person, so she didn't know about this stuff.

But Lauren did, and if she wasn't so angry with Jack for what he did then she'd be impressed. "So, I'm guessing you inhaled the spray?" She got a nod. "And the Unicorn's blood, made it possible for you to live two lives at once. That's why you have your memories back" it was complex.

But also genius.

"Is that even something that can be fixed?" Shay honestly didn't want to live like this.

"It might be tricky, but there's always a way…" Lauren wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "… And I'm not gonna stop until I find it. So, what'd you say we get outta here?" She just wanted Shay to come home.

Their family had suffered enough.

It was time for things to go back to normal.

Or something close to that.

Shay nodded, taking one last look at the place. _Her_ old place. "We had a good time here, didn't we?" She glanced at her Mother. Who said yes. "At least that's something I guess. Let's go" she walked out of the apartment with her Mother.

She was ready to go home.

 **Dennis Household – Later**

Bo didn't say anything to Shay when Lauren brought her home. It didn't surprise her that Lauren was able to get Shay to see sense. Things never changed around here. Bo remembered the days when her kids were little, and Shay always favoured Lauren. It didn't bother her, because she knew Shay loved her too it was just a deeper connection she had with Lauren.

Like Bo had with Ethan. It was just one of those things. Bo missed those days though. And she made that known to Lauren while they laid in bed after their long day. The kids were all sleeping soundly, thank god. Even Shay, which was a blessing.

"Do you remember that morning a couple years ago, when we had Ethan's birthday breakfast? And after the kids went to school we had a little _party_ of our own?" Bo looked at Lauren while she was going over some paperwork.

Something she did frequently before bed.

"A _couple_ of years?" Lauren revealed a smirk, that was an understatement. "You mean _nineteen_ years ago, when Patrick was one, Charlie was three, Shay was five and Ethan was seven? Yes, I vaguely recall it" she kept writing in her notes. She had to get this done.

Bo gasped, "Vaguely? Ouch! Way to hurt a Succubus' ego!" That one stung.

Lauren scribbled down her signature on the bottom on the form, and placed the papers on her nightstand. "Sorry babe…" she gave her a kiss to apologise. "… Let me start over. _Yes_ , of course I remember. How could I forget the day Bella was conceived?" That was a really good day.

"Okay, well aside from the earth shattering encore we shared; do you remember what it was like to have the kids at those ages?" Bo missed it. "It was so much fun back then"

"And easier" Lauren loved it too.

Bo had to laugh thinking of it. "There was no back talk, no arguing, no tantrums—well, only when we took their toys away. I wish we had that again"

Suddenly, Lauren's smile dropped. "Umm, are you getting at something here? You don't want another baby, do you? Because as much as I love you, I think five is a really solid number for us" she didn't know if she wanted another child, just yet.

They were good right now.

"I'm not saying that. You're right, five's a good number. I just, miss the days when I was their whole world-sorry, _we_ were their whole world. Now, everything seems scattered" Bo sighed, sinking into her pillow.

Lauren laid down next to her, kissing her cheek. "No it's not. Everything's fine. Admittedly, things haven't been great lately. But, were okay now. Everything's good"

"I know. I just, miss it" Bo held Lauren's hand as she laid beside her. Clearly, she was tired but Bo herself couldn't get to sleep. She just kept thinking about those _better_ days.

But Lauren could sense Bo's sadness. "You're still their whole world Bo, it's just their worlds have gotten a lot bigger over the years. But that doesn't mean things can't go back to way they were. Before all this happened"

"I guess" Bo decided to get some sleep. The threat might be over for now, but it didn't mean there wasn't another one out there somewhere. There always was. She'd need her strength for that, which meant she had to rest.

 **Living Room**

In the time since her Mother brought her home, Shay had been doing some major soul searching. Especially about this predicament she was in. Yes, she had the memories of two separate lives, and no, they weren't fun to experience all at once.

But never the less, they were a part of her now. These memories belonged to her. It didn't matter if that life never happened, to her it did. There was also benefits to keeping the memories too. Like, the added fighting techniques. They were gruesome, but effective.

Although, trying to differentiate between her old memories and her new ones was proving difficult. And being around the people that triggered them, made things worse. So, she finally came to the conclusion that she had to leave.

Just for a while.

She could never leave forever.

She just needed time to figure things out.

So, while everyone slept; she packed a bag. She had enough money to support herself for a while, having worked in her Grandfather's bar since she was eighteen. And if she ever did run out of cash, she always had her compulsion ability.

She'd written a letter to her Parents, and also one to Sasha explaining why she was leaving and that she _was_ coming back. It was just a matter of when.

With everything ready, she left the two letters on her bed upstairs. Taking one last look at the house, she didn't know when she'd be back. One stop she had to make before hitting the road, was to her Grandfather's vault below the Dal. She knew where he hid the key.

The only way for her to disappear completely, was to be invisible to anyone who tried to locate her. Including her little sister. Once they'd noticed she'd left, her Parents would make Bella try to find her with Magic and Shay couldn't let them.

The perfect thing to save her from that, was a charmed pendant made from an ancient iron that her Grandfather kept in his vault. It had the power to render a person undetectable from any and all magic. It was the only way to hide from her sister's spells.

As soon as she got that, she was gone.

It was for the best.

 **Next Morning**

Everyone was at the table in the kitchen, eating breakfast. Well, everyone except Shay. "Patrick? Go and see if Shay's awake, be quiet if she's not though" Bo told him to run upstairs.

"Maybe we should let her lay in…" Lauren said. "… She's been through a lot. Extra sleep can't hurt" she didn't want to push Shay before she was ready.

And Bo understood that. "I get you're worried Lauren, but she's gonna have to deal with life sooner or later. It's bad for her if she hides away in her room—" she stopped talking when she heard Patrick call her name.

Both she and Lauren ran upstairs, fearing the worst. And they were right to. "Where is she?" Bo asked Patrick.

"I dunno. I knocked on the door but she didn't answer. So, I came in and found these. There's one addressed to Sasha, but this one's for you guys" he handed her an envelope.

Not able to wait, Lauren snatched it from Bo's hands and tore it open to read it. Shay wrote about how she wasn't okay, not after what happened. And that she needed some time alone to work through her thoughts. "She's gone" her voice was quiet.

Bo frowned, "What?" She took the note from Lauren, who just took a seat on Shay's bed. Bo read over the letter, seeing the same things Lauren just did. Shay had really taken off. "I don't believe this"

"She's coming back though, right?" Patrick asked.

Thankfully, that was one thing Shay did confirm. "Yeah, she is. Just, not any time soon. Give us a minute buddy…" she told him to go back downstairs. "… Lauren? Are you okay?"

"Am I okay?" Lauren lifted her head, frowning angrily. "My daughter has run away Bo! Of course I'm not okay!" She got up from the bed and walked to the window. "How is it, that even when Jack's dead he still finds a way to destroy us?"

Bo took full blame for that. He was after all, _her_ Father. "I don't think that's something we'll ever have the answer to. I know this's bad, but she said she's coming back. We just have to wait a while, that's all"

"And what stops me from going insane with worry while we wait for her?" Lauren couldn't be without one of her children, not knowing where they were or if they were okay. It just wasn't right.

"Nothing…" Bo answered honestly. "… But you've got me, and our other four children. Yes, this's scary. And it downright _sucks_! But we can't begin to imagine how Shay feels. Maybe this'll be good for her" she had to consider it.

Even if it meant not seeing her little girl for a while.

Lauren shook her head, "Being away from her family won't be good for her Bo!" She began crying. "We just got everything back to a good place! What're we supposed to do now?"

Bo hugged her, "We have to let her go…" she told her. "… We have to give her whatever time she needs to deal with her trauma. She'll be back, you know she will" she didn't have a doubt about that.

"When? In a year, or ten?" Lauren didn't even want to think about how long it would be.

"Please, Shay would never be away from Sasha for that long. Or us. If it makes you feel better we can ask Bella to track her with magic" Bo thought it was a good suggestion.

But Lauren knew Shay better than anyone. "No, she's probably already found a way to hide herself. I raised that girl, I know what she's capable of. If she doesn't wanna be found then she won't be. You're right, we have to let her go" as soon as she said it, she felt into Bo's arm.

Realising the severity of their situation.

Their daughter had fled. And they had no way of knowing if she was okay. It wasn't that Shay couldn't take care of herself. Quite the opposite in fact. But Lauren worried whenever any of her children were away for too long.

"It's gonna be okay babe" Bo held her close, pressing a kiss to her head. She wanted to believe her own words, but she didn't have a clue if it was true.

She hoped so.

Suddenly, Ethan entered the room having heard the news from Patrick. "She's really gone?" His Parents turned to him with a nod. "What the hell did your Dad do to her to make her run off?"

When they were kids, Shay threatened to run away so many times. Especially when she'd get grounded or their Parents took something away from her. But she never went through with it. It was all talk.

Bo couldn't answer him without telling him the truth, and she and Lauren had agreed never to do that. Look what it did to Shay. "I don't think it's anything he did particularly. But, being down there can change you. It's a lot to deal with. Your sister just needs time"

"But, if it's a lot to deal with then she shouldn't be doing it alone" He was worried about her.

And Lauren felt the same. "You're right, she shouldn't. But she _has_ to. And we'll be here when she gets home. She'll be okay Ethan" she gave him a side hug.

"Yeah, but do you know who won't be?" Bo picked up the unopened envelope. "Sasha, when she reads whatever's in here. Should we see what it says?" She didn't know what to do.

But Lauren did, so she snatched it from Bo's hand. "No! This's a private letter from Shay to her Girlfriend, and _none_ of us will be peeking. God knows what she's written in here. We should take it to her"

"I'll do it…" Ethan took it from her. "… And I'll also explain Shay's reason for leaving. I'm sure the letter covers it, but Sasha still might need someone to talk to after she reads it. She's bound to get upset" he felt bad for her.

"Good idea. You go do that. Let us now what happens, okay?" Lauren tapped his arm as he left the room. Once he left, she took a look at Shay's empty room. "I'm gonna miss hearing her snoring like a tractor in the mornings"

Bo laughed, she never thought she'd miss that. "Me too. Although, It'll be nice not to fight over the remote. And you know she's the one who eats all the Oreos" there were never any left over.

These were all trivial things, but they made Shay who she is. And they were going to miss it. "She'll be okay, right?" Lauren needed an answer from someone.

Nodding, Bo hugged her again. "She's gonna be fine babe. We just have to trust her. And trust that we've done a good job raising her. Because we have. We've taught her well" she wasn't worried.

"Yeah. We did" With that, Lauren stayed under Bo's arm as they left the room, closing the door after them.

 **Four Months Later**

Things were better.

They thought they'd need a lot longer than four months to get over everything that happened with Ronan and Jack, but things got back to normal pretty quickly. The only downside, was that Shay hadn't returned home yet. What worried Bo and Lauren most, wasn't if Shay was okay; it was that they didn't know what she was up to.

How long could she possibly need to sort out her memories?

But they weren't the only ones who were worried. Things didn't go well when Ethan gave Sasha Shay's letter. She screamed, she cried, she threw things, then she cried a little more before finally realising that maybe it was good for Shay to be by herself. That was when she thought her Girlfriend would've been gone a few weeks, not four months.

Unfortunately, there wasn't anything anyone could do. Not that they didn't try. After the first month, Bo asked Bella to track Shay down with magic, but like Lauren predicted; Shay had found a way to cloak herself. So, Bo took the human approach and tried to track Shay's phone, only to find that her daughter had covered that too.

She was smart.

Just like Lauren.

Trick was back to his old self, running his bar and smiling as he was the picture of health. Ethan had decided to help him run the bar in the first few weeks of his recovery. He had nothing better to do. Unlike most children, Bo's decided against attending College for a few years after they graduated High School.

Lauren wasn't happy about it, but her children just figured since they were going to be around for a long time and look the same as they did now, then they could attend College whenever they wanted and still meet the requirements.

All of them, except Bella.

She wanted to go to College now and had applied to a bunch of good schools. Her grades were impeccable so there was no chance of her being rejected. And it wasn't like Bo and Lauren couldn't afford to send her because they'd made a lot of money over the decades.

Of course, Lauren was biased when it came to choosing the right school, she still believe Yale was the best one out of all of them. Bo had no preference since she never even finished High School, so she just told Bella to choose whichever one she wanted.

Bella applied to four schools. Yale, Stanford, Princeton and finally, Harvard. She'd been accepted to all four, which was great. But now came the moment where she had to decide which school was going to be the one for her.

She'd been wrestling with it all day. So much so that she was hiding out in her room. That was until someone knocked on her door. "Come in" she mumbled from under pillows.

Bo stepped inside, "Making any progress?" She knew why her daughter was finding it hard to decide. When Bella just groaned, Bo sat beside her on the bed. "Bella? Can you sit up please?" She waited for her to listen, and saw her frustrated face. "Why the long the face?"

"It's just, I know Mom really wants me to go to Yale because that's where she went; but, I'm not sure if it's the right place for me. I also don't wanna disappoint her" Bella was at a loss.

"Sweetie, your Mom will never be disappointed with you. And yeah, it would be nice if you followed in her footsteps and went to Yale like she did. I mean, look how great she turned out. But, it doesn't mean you have to. And she'd never want you to be unhappy. You know that" Bo knew Lauren wouldn't be like that.

Bella nodded, "Yeah, I guess I do. I think I have it narrowed down to two schools. Do you wanna know which ones?" She'd been thinking about it all day.

Bo was a little worried, mostly because whatever Bella decided would determine how far away she'd be once she left. "Sure"

"I'm leaning towards Princeton or Stanford" Bella said.

"Stanford? That's in California, right?" Bo saw her nod. Okay, keep calm! Take a breath, don't panic. These were things Bo was telling herself so she didn't freak out about her Daughter being half a world a way. "Uh, that's cool. But, what about Princeton?" She knew that was closer.

Bella shrugged, "It's a good school, and it has a good variety of things I can study. But, New Jersey isn't as sunny as California"

Sun?

That's what Bella was leaning towards, Sun?

Bo had to keep her cool, she couldn't freak out. "True, but how much sun do you really need? I mean, you don't wanna get sunburnt while you're reading your textbooks! I'm telling you, Princeton sounds like a really winner!"

"Of course you'd think that, because it's closer to you and Mom. Do you not trust me to be away by myself?" Bella was finding it hard not to take this personally.

Bo shook her head, this wasn't what she wanted. "No! Of course, we trust you sweetie. It's just, with how our lives are and the things we've gone through; your Mom and I feel the need to be very overprotective. When you guys were little, we didn't take our eyes off you. We were scared something would happen if we did"

Those were dark times. All the attacks she and Lauren had to stop, people who came after their kids just because they were Hybrids. It made them a little paranoid.

And Bella understood that, "I get it Mom, you guys have protected us for so long that it's all you know how to do. But, you can't protect us forever. You and Mom have to live your lives too" she wanted her Parents to be happy.

Holding her hand, Bo smiled. "You guys _are_ our life. And you're right, we can't protect you forever. Not that we need to. You more than anyone have proven how strong you are. I'm not worried _about_ you Bella, I'm worried about not seeing you everyday after you leave" it was the small things.

"Well, it's a good thing God invented cell phones!" Bella chuckled. "You guys can call me whenever you want. Or, texting's fine too. And I'll be home for the holidays and spring break. It's not like I'm leaving forever" she'd never do that.

Bo was in awe of how Bella looked at things, her perspective was so refreshing. "I guess your Mom and I finally did something right when we made you…" she brought her in for a hug. "… If you wanna go to California for school, then I won't stand in your way. It's your choice sweetie, I just want you to be happy"

"I can still be happy at Princeton" Bella said.

Upon hearing that, Bo pulled back. "What? Really?" She hoped this wasn't a trick.

Bella nodded, "Yeah. I mean, it _was_ number one on my list. Stanford's a close second. And before you ask, I'm not just doing this to please you. I've had my eye on Princeton for a while, I think it'll be fun. I can check out where all the Real Housewives live!" She loved that show.

"Yes!" Bo hugged her again. "It _will_ be fun" she was so glad Bella was deciding to go to College closer to home. It wasn't exactly down the road, but it was enough.

"Is it okay if I go to the movies with Parker tonight?" Bella always asked, even though she was eighteen.

Bo was still getting used to the fact that her littlest baby had a Boyfriend. "Sure, just be home before midnight. Deal?"

Bella gave her Mother a fist bump, "Deal"

With that, Bo got up and left the room. And as soon as she closed the door to Bella's room, she slammed right into her Wife. "Jesus! Lurk much?" She knew exactly why Lauren was hovering.

"I do lately. So, has she made a decision? Is it finally time to pass down my old Yale sweater? I've been dying to give it to someone!" Lauren hoped to hear the right words from Bo's mouth.

But it was time for her to crush Lauren's dreams. "Unless that sweater says _Princeton_ , I don't think you're gonna be passing it down to anyone. Not Bella, anyway. Don't look so wounded babe" she tapped her shoulder.

Lauren had to recover from the shock, "Princeton? Of all the schools she got into, she's choosing _Princeton_?" Call her biased, but in her eyes Yale ruled all.

"What's the big deal?" Bo knew that question was going bite her in the ass in a second.

"Is that a joke?" Lauren frowned at her, "This's a _Yale_ family, not a Princeton family! I'm gonna talk to her—" she went to grab the door handle but Bo pulled her away and dragged her into their bedroom down the hall.

Bo couldn't let her do this, "Lauren, I know you love Yale. And I know it'd make you happy for one of the kids to follow in your legendary footsteps, but Yale was part of _your_ journey. Bella's is at Princeton, let her have this. Besides, it could've been a lot worse"

That didn't make sense to Lauren. "How so?"

"She narrowed down her choices to Princeton and _Stanford_! I'd rather have her freezing her ass off in Jersey and be close to home, than have her getting a good tan in California and be far away from us. Let's think of this as a win" Bo was happy to admit defeat.

The more Lauren thought it over, it was a good deal. "Yeah, you're right. Bella needs to make her own way in the world. I guess Princeton isn't so bad. And it's still Ivy League, so there's that" she was coming around to the idea.

"See, this's a good thing!" Bo knew she'd be okay with it. "Just think, with Bella in College that's one less kid we have to worry about when we're having our own quality time" she stepped closer to her.

That was a plus.

But the fact that she mentioned that, just made her think of the one kid they'd been missing for four months. Although, it would do Lauren no good to talk about Shay now. She had to be okay with the changes that were going on around here. Not dwelling on the sad moments was one of them.

"You're not wrong, but that still leaves us with the other three…" Lauren fell into Bo's arms. "… Is it too much to hope they'll move out soon too? Then we'd be all alone" she whispered in her ear.

The sheer tone of her voice, sent a shiver down Bo's spine. "I could kick them out, would that work?" She was willing to do anything to have time with her love.

That just made Lauren laugh, "That's so not what I meant. Don't worry Succubus, we'll have our moment soon enough—" she was about to kiss her again when she felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket. Checking it, she saw it was the Clinic. "But it'll have to wait. I gotta go. I shouldn't be too late tonight" she went to grab her things.

"Take your time, go save some lives!" Bo wasn't so naïve as to believe that Lauren's work would ever die down. She was a Doctor. It was the busiest job in the world. "I'm sure I can entertain myself"

"Ooh, that sounds naughty…" Lauren gave her a kiss, "… Well, try not to have too much fun without me. Love you" she began walking to the door.

"Love you too!" Bo called after her as she left. Not long after Lauren left the house, she got a call from Dyson. Telling her about an underground fight club that was generating a lot of buzz within the Fae community. And someone they knew was associated with it. "How reliable is your witness?" She asked him.

Dyson spoke through the mic. "Very reliable. It's a Police buddy of mine. I've known him for decades. He went undercover to infiltrate the club to find out who's running it. He took some pictures and showed me. It's her Bo"

Bo exhaled, this was just perfect. "It just doesn't make any sense, why would Shay be running a fight club?"

"From what my guy said, she's not running it. But she's their top fighter. Also, you might wanna know that the people who go up against her don't make it out alive. Did her time in Hell really affect her that badly?" This wasn't the Shay he knew.

The old Shay, yeah. But not this one.

"I dunno, I thought she was okay. Maybe I was wrong. Where'd you say she was last seen?" Bo made sure to make a note of the address. "Thanks Dyson, I'll let you know what happens. Do me a favour, don't tell Sasha. Not until I know for sure" she didn't want to get anyone's hopes up.

"I won't, the last four months have been hard enough on her. I don't wanna make her worse" he hated that he couldn't cheer his daughter up.

Bo understood that. "Good idea. I'll call you later…" she hung up the phone and turned around, only to find Ethan by her door. "… What'd I tell you about eavesdropping?"

Ethan held up his hands, admitting his crime. "Sorry. But I was on my way to my room when I heard Shay's name. Along with the mention of a fight club. What's going on Mom?"

"I'm not sure yet. It's nothing conclusive. I'm just gonna head to this place and see what I find…" Bo was grabbing a jacket when Ethan told her he was going with her. "… No, you're not"

He frowned at her, "Why? I wanna find her just as much as you and Mom do. She's my sister. And I never thought I'd hear myself say this but, I miss having her around to annoy me" he was taking this to his grave.

"Patrick annoys you plenty" Bo knew because she'd had to break up thousands of fights between them.

"Yes, he does. But it's not the same. Please Mom, let me come with you. I can get through to her, you know I can. Besides, it doesn't hurt to have the extra muscle" he was proud of himself.

Bo sighed, maybe it wouldn't be such a terrible idea. "Fine. But not a word of this to your Mom! Understood?" He nodded. "I don't need her freaking out if it turns out to be nothing. Come on" she led him out of the bedroom, downstairs and out to the car.

It was time to bring her daughter home.

Whether Shay wanted to, or not.

 **A/N: Will Bo be successful? Leave me your thoughts. And prepare yourselves for the final chapter. *Evil Smirk* LOL!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Okay, here it is. Got a surprise for you all.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Age of Innocence**

 **Underground Fight Club**

The place wasn't easy to find.

Dyson gave her the address, but it wasn't an exact location. It took nearly ten minutes of searching alleyways for Bo and Ethan to finally find what they were looking for. They came to a steel door, knocking on it. A viewing panel in the centre of the door slid to its side.

"Password?" The voice belonged to a man with a pair of green eyes.

Since she didn't know the password, Bo was really happy she let Ethan tag along. "Password? You know what? My son's the one who's got it. I'll let him speak" she tapped Ethan's shoulder, giving him a look as she stepped behind him.

He caught her drift, and stepped towards the door. He stared into the man's eyes, "You're gonna let us in without a Password. So, be a lamb and open the door"

The man blinked, "Of course…" he closed he panel, and opened the door. "… Come on in. You're just in time, the fight's heating up in there" he smiled at them, closing the door behind them.

Bo could hear the screaming and cheering coming from down the hallway. "Yeah, it sure sounds like it. Let's check it out" she and Ethan began investigating.

They walked by tons of shady people on their way down the hall. Ethan could tell they mostly all Fae. But there were a few Humans. These types of events were illegal in their world. Bo knew from experience. It never ended well. Everyone's eyes were on them as they got to the main fighting area.

"Mom?" Ethan pointed to the metal cage a few feet from them. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "What the hell is she doing?" He'd never seen his sister like this.

Bo followed his gaze. Shay was in the cage, fighting with another person. She was beating the living crap out of him. And she wasn't stopping. "She's self-destructing" she'd seen this behaviour before, when Shay's other self came from the future.

Violent.

Vicious.

And Vengeful.

This wasn't the girl she and Lauren raised. This was Jack's fault. Whatever he did to her to give her those past memories, had messed her up. Suddenly, they watched her lift her opponent high with a hand around his neck.

"We gotta stop her before she—" Ethan was too late, because by the time he was finishing his sentence Shay had snapped the man's neck and dropped him to the floor. "What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing we can't fix…" Bo clocked her daughter exiting the cage, walking backstage alone. "… That way, let's go!" They both followed Shay to the back.

 **Backstage**

To say that she was having fun was an understatement. Shay had never felt so free in her life. A month after she left home, she wandered from city to city. Just searching for some kind of balance now that she had the memories of two lives. She thought she found it once or twice but it never lasted.

Not until she came here.

She was recruited for the fight club at a bar on the wrong side of town. It wasn't something she was interested in at first, but after her first win it almost became addictive. The feeling of expressing her rage, was so seductive. Because ever since she got her old memories back, she had the urge to kill.

The bloodlust was overbearing.

Participating in these fights was the only way she could control it. Yes, she was killing people. But they weren't pillars of the community. They were all ex-cons, fugitives, the lowest of the low. No one would miss them. In fact, she was pretty sure she deserved a medal for getting rid of them.

Tonight was no different. The guy who ran everything; Stan, only gave her the men and women who had it coming. Like the man she just killed in the cage. He was a wanted fugitive. Banned from four different countries for murder and other depraved crimes. She did the world a service by ending him.

Shay walked to the locker room backstage, going for her bench so she could clean up. When suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. A familiar one. "Not the family reunion you were hoping for, was it?"

"I'd hoped for something better. That doesn't mean we can't have a do over though" Bo was impressed that her daughter could sense her from far away. Her abilities had grown in the last four months.

Turning around, Shay saw her Mother and also her big brother. "I see you brought reinforcements. Hey bro" she gave him a smile.

"Sis…" he gave her a nod. "… If I can even call you that" he wasn't so sure anymore. Not after what he just witnessed.

Shay faked hurt. "Ouch bro! Gotta say, that stung. Don't tell me you're scared of me?" She had to laugh. "Oh my god, you are!" This was hilarious. "My indestructible big brother, scared of little old me. _Now_ I've seen everything"

"I'm not scared of you Shay; I'm scared _for_ you. What's going on with you? Did being in Hell mess you up so bad that you became a totally different person?" Ethan began to approach her.

And as he did, Shay locked eyes with her Mother. She still hadn't told him the truth. And as much as she wanted to herself, she still couldn't ruin his life like her own. "Maybe it did. It's not like you'd know"

"Shay, why're you here?" Bo changed the subject. She did come here for a reason. And that was to bring her daughter home. Lauren would be so happy if she got home from work and saw that Shay had returned. "What're you getting out of this? Money?"

Shay shook her head, "I don't charge for killing vermin. That's like Superman asking to be put on a retainer for saving the world!" She turned back to her locker, wiping the blood from her face. Her wounds had healed, all she needed to do was clean up.

"If it's not about money, then why're you doing this?" Bo stood beside her.

Pausing from her task, Shay sighed. "It helps with the rage. I'd rather be fighting in there, than killing some poor soul on the street because I can't keep myself in check. I'm doing this for everyone's safety" she actually wasn't thinking of herself.

"You know what else might help with that?" Bo asked her. "Coming home. Being around the people you love. Everyone misses you. Patrick, Charlie, Bella, your Mom. And Sasha. Don't you wanna see her?" She thought using love would work.

Shay closed her eyes, thinking of her family. "Of course I do. I miss everyone too. But, I can't come back yet. I'm not ready"

"The hell you aren't!" Ethan banged his hand onto the locker beside her. "Shay, cut this crap out now! We're not leaving here without you!" He'd had enough.

"What makes you think you're strong enough to make me?" Shay wasn't the same as before. She had the knowledge of two lives, _two_ sets of skills. She could easily beat her brother at anything now. "Do yourself a favour E, let me go!" Her eyes flashed blue.

He grabbed her arm, "Like hell I will!"

Bo got in between them, "That's enough! This isn't doing us any good!" She was sick of the fighting.

But Ethan had an idea. "Okay. How about this? I'll fight you for it. You and me, in that cage. If I win, you come home no questions asked. And if you win, we'll leave you alone. Deal?"

"Ethan, what're you doing?" Bo didn't like this.

Shay smiled, that sounded like her kind of deal. "You've got yourself a wager brother…" she shook his hand, "… Follow me" she led him back to the fighting area.

Bo snatched her son's wrist before he began following her. "Are you out of your mind?!" She couldn't believe he did that. "You really think fighting her is the answer?"

"Mom, chill!" He wasn't worried. "Shay's never been able to beat me in close quarters. This time will be no different. I'll win the fight, then she'll have to honour the deal and come home with us. Piece of cake!" He winked at her before running after his sister.

Little did he know, that it wasn't the same Shay he'd beaten so many times before. This Shay was more savage, violent, and she'd do whatever it took to survive. Bo could only hope he'd be strong enough to win the fight.

She followed them both back to the fighting cage.

Here goes nothing.

 **Fighting Cage**

Bo stood ringside, wondering what Lauren would say to her right now if she was here. Actually, she wouldn't be saying anything. She'd probably be yelling. And cursing. Bo watched Ethan and Shay enter the cage. She was praying to whoever was listening, for her son to come out of this alive.

"Hey uh, no hard feeling when I knock you on your ass. Might as well get the apologies out of the way now, right?" Ethan was so confident about this fight.

Which made Shay laugh, he had no clue what he'd walked into. "Good thinking bro. Here's mine—" she swept her leg under his, watching him flip onto his back with a thud. "Ooh! No hard feelings bro" she repeated his earlier sentence.

He was a little taken aback, he'd never seen her do that before. "I guess you've been keeping yourself busy in the last four months huh?" He jumped up. "Have you been taking classes or something?" He rubbed his lower back.

"Or something" Shay held her fists up with a smirk.

Ethan struck back with a fist to her face, but she caught it and flipped him over onto his back again. "Jesus! What's with all the flips? Do you have something against my spine?!" He felt so sore.

"You wanted a fight. This's it" Shay had no other reason. Well, that and it was funny watching him fall on his ass.

Bo watched everyone cheering Shay on. Clearly she'd built quite the reputation for herself. "Come on Ethan!" She clapped over them. "You're the oldest for a reason, remember that!" He was automatically stronger than her; she hoped.

She watched them fight for a while, and in that time Shay had done a number on her brother. That wasn't to say Ethan didn't get any shots in, because he did. It just wasn't enough. She had him beat. Bo couldn't watch any longer. She found herself covering her eyes.

With two shots to his abdomen, Ethan fell to his knees out of breath and gasping for air. "What the hell happened to you Shay?" He had to ask her that before she finished him.

She felt so many emotions right now, but she had to win this fight if she was going to have them leave her alone. She knew in her bones, she wasn't ready to be around her family yet. She needed time. Four months wasn't enough.

Shay dropped to her knees, holding both sides of her brother's face gently. "Nothing happened to me E…" she told him. "… This's who I've always been. You don't understand why I have to do this, and that's okay. I don't expect you to"

"Help me understand!" He grabbed her wrists. "You don't belong here! You belong with us, your family. Mom misses you like crazy. I see her sitting in your room every other night, holding one of your shirts. I am _begging_ you sis, just come home" he was pleading.

Bo watched them talk, she couldn't hear much because of the crowd. But she could tell it was heavy, because Shay started to cry. It killed her that her daughter was suffering so badly. All because of Jack, another reason why Bo had screwed up.

Her sins were destroying her family.

When would it end?

In the cage, Shay shook her head. "I can't!" with one firm twist, she snapped his neck. He'd be okay in a few minutes. She had to kill him. It was the rules of the cage. Only one person could leave breathing. She laid him down on the mat, ready to get out of the cage.

But Bo was already at the door, letting herself in.

Shay had to frown, "What'd you think you're doing? It's over Mom. We had a deal, I won the fight fair and square" she obeyed her brother's rules.

"Nothing about this is fair, Shay…" Bo had asked some guys to carry Ethan outside the cage. She paid them a hundred bucks each. As they did that, she removed her jacket and threw it to the floor. "… I'm not leaving here without you. So if I have to kick your ass first, then so be it" she brought up her fists.

Ready to fight.

"Alright Boys and Girls, its Round Two!" Stan spoke over the loudspeaker. "Make sure to place your bets. This one's sure to be a doozy. We got our reigning Champ, going up against the Infamous Unaligned Succubus. Who also happens to be her Mother! You won't find a fight like this anywhere else folks!" He loved it.

He was going to break the bank tonight.

Shay wasn't up for this, but clearly her Mother was. "You sure you wanna do this? Fight _me_?" She knew her Mother was a force to be reckoned with, but It wasn't enough to beat a Hybrid. It never was.

"I'm standing here, aren't I?" Bo was waiting. One thing she had going for her, was that she trained Shay. Every move she knew, Bo taught her. The only blind spots were the moves Shay got from the memories of her former life. Bo didn't know those. And they were the worst ones.

Without saying another word, Shay went to sweep her leg under her Mother's but Bo was expecting it and jumped up. And as she did, she delivered a kick to her face. Shay stumbled back, touching her cheek. It was a little sore but quickly healed. That was new. "So it's like that, huh?"

Nodding, Bo was fast on her feet. "I'm just giving you a fair fight. What? Afraid you're not Fae enough to beat your Mama?" She let out a laugh.

Shay wasn't going to take that laying down, so she began her attack again. They fought over and over again. She got a few shots in, and even though she should've felt awful for laying a hand on her Mother, she was enjoying it. That's what the other part of her was like. It loved the violence.

Bo felt like she couldn't feel her face after those shots. But she knew she couldn't let her win. So as Shay was about deliver a high kick, Bo caught her daughter's leg in her hands and brought her right elbow down hard on Shay's shin, hearing the crack.

Screaming in pain, Shay fell to the floor. Broken bones weren't always the easiest to heal from and her Mother knew that. Some had to be set beforehand, and others just took extra time to heal. A cracked shin, was one of the worst ones. "Cheap shot" she held her injured leg.

"What did I always tell you?" Bo asked her, wiping the blood from her mouth. "A cheap shot, is still a good shot. If you get it right, they're the ones that do the most damage. Speaking of which, how's the leg?" She felt bad for hurting her.

But thankfully, Shay was doing fine. She could feel the cracks inside her leg heal. "Never better!" She reached out and grabbed both of her Mother's feet, pulling her down fast.

Bo's head slammed against the hard mat, that one hurt. "Jesus!" She touched the back of her head, it wasn't bleeding but it still threw her. "I don't suppose I could talk you into a five minute water break, could I?" She could really use a refreshment of some kind.

Shay rolled over to her, making sure to pin her down so she couldn't punch or kick. "What'd you think?"

As Bo looked into her daughter's eyes, she could see that this Shay; whoever she was, wasn't her little girl. Maybe it was pointless to try and bring her home. Because this version wasn't who they missed. "I don't get it…" she let out. "… The memories of that life couldn't have screwed you up this much"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shay frowned at her.

"You're so angry. Angrier than you ever were in your old life. The look in your eyes right now-it's like you wanna kill me…" Bo watched her avert her eyes. "… Wait? Do you?"

Shay got off her, sitting beside her. She looked around, and they'd been so engrossed in their fight that they hadn't even noticed that the crowd was gone. Only Ethan stood outside the cage. He must've made them all leave.

Clever.

But thankfully he wasn't close enough to hear them. "I don't know what I want…" she sighed. "… I just know that I hate _this_. I hate these memories, I hate Jack, and I hate-"

"Me?" Bo wondered.

Shay had to be honest, "A little. For breaking your promise"

In her life, Bo had made a lot of promises. So she was lost as to what Shay was taking about. "What promise?"

It wasn't a surprise to Shay that her Mother didn't remember, it was a long time ago. "That day when I was five, and I had the chicken pox. Mom couldn't stay with me, so you took the day off work. You put me to bed, and when I woke up you were fighting some guy. Remember?"

Thinking back, Bo did remember. She sat up with a smile. "Yeah, I remember" that wasn't all she remembered, she also remembered the promise she made.

 **Nineteen Years Ago**

 _Of all the illnesses going around, it had to be chickenpox Shay was sick with. It made things difficult for everyone else since Charlie and Patrick had never had it before. So, Bo sent them off with Trick so they could hang out with him for the day while Ethan was at school. He'd had it before anyway._

 _Lauren wanted to stay home with Shay, given that she was the Doctor and was best suited to look after her. But she got an emergency call about a patient and couldn't leave work until they were stable. So, Bo was fine staying home. She'd had it when she was kid before her Fae powers kicked in._

 _It was times like these when Bo wished her children were born with their healing ability. It meant they'd never get sick from anything. But Ethan hadn't acquired his yet, and he'd be the first. They just had to wait._

 _Shay wasn't the best patient, as she kept groaning about how much her spots itched. "Mama, it really itches!" She scratched her arms._

 _Bo grabbed her hands, pulling them away. "I know it's itchy baby, but you_ _ **cannot**_ _scratch it. If you do, you'll have yucky scars. You don't want that, do you?" Her daughter shook her head. "Good girl. Now, why don't you take a nap? It might make you feel better"_

" _But I'm not tired" Shay just wanted the itching to stop._

" _You will be after a glass of warm milk and some of the medicine that Mommy left you. Come on…" Bo picked her up off the couch and took her to the kitchen, giving her some warm milk and also some of the medicine Lauren left to bring down Shay's fever._

 _After a few minutes, Shay began yawning. So, Bo took her upstairs and tucked her into bed. "… Alright. You get some rest, and when you wake up we'll do something fun. Deal?" She held out her pinky finger._

 _Shay wrapped her own around it. "Deal!" She let go, laying down on her back with her favourite stuffed gorilla. Sleeping came easy with the medicine she took._

" _Sleep tight baby" Bo kissed her head, and left her to sleep._

 _An hour later, and Shay was awake. She got thirsty, so she climbed out of bed and exited her bedroom. But when she got into the hallway, she heard grumbling coming from downstairs. Being curious, she decided to see what it was. She got to the top of the stairs, and heard a loud smash._

" _Mama?" She didn't know what was going on, and she was a little scared now. Especially when she saw her Mother fall onto her back at the bottom of the stairs with a cut on her head. "Mama!" She was going to run to her, but was told not to._

 _Bo held her hand up, "No Shay! Stay there!" She didn't want her anywhere near this fight. Honestly, Bo didn't know what happened. One minute she was cleaning the living room, and the next someone was breaking into the house._

 _They were after something, or maybe Shay. All of her children were in danger. It came with the territory in this family. But she wasn't going to let this sick bastard take her daughter. The only problem was, he was a_ _ **strong**_ _sick bastard. She guessed maybe an Ogre or a Troll, if they were on steroids._

 _Suddenly, he kicked her in the face; dazing her._

 _He got to the first step, looking at his target at the top of the stairs. "Well aren't you a cutie?" He smiled at her. "Not the one I was looking for; but you'll fetch a nice price either way. Come here you little brat!" He went to take another step._

 _But Bo grabbed his foot, and with all her strength she threw him away from the stairs. "Shay? Cover your ears baby, I don't want you to hear this. Okay?" She wasn't letting this asshole leave alive, and she didn't want Shay to hear or see it._

" _Okay" Shay stood at the top of the stairs, covering her ears. She couldn't see anything because the wall was covering the rest of the living room._

 _Bo touched her lip as she got to her feet, she could taste blood. It was only a little. She had to end this now. Walking over to her attacker, she was in super Succubus mode. She didn't need a weapon. Her hands_ _ **were**_ _her weapons. Reaching down, she grabbed him by his throat and lifted him high._

" _Who sent you?" She asked him._

 _He tried to pry her fingers loose, but it was no use. She had a good grip on him. "Screw you!" He wasn't talking._

" _I should let you live so you can give all your bounty hunter pals a message. But I can't take the risk you'll come back. So instead, I'll just remind you of the stupid mistake you made by coming here today…" she pulled him down so she was inches away. "…_ _ **Never**_ _come after a my kids!" With a flick of her wrist, she snapped his neck and dropped him to the ground._

 _Taking a breath, Bo realised she'd left Shay on the stairs. Running over, she saw her little girl on top of the stairs with her eyes closed and her hands over her ears. "Shay?" She called to her loudly, getting her attention. "It's okay baby" as she climbed the stairs she picked her up and hugged her._

" _Is the bad man gone?" Shay held onto her Mother tight. Still scared._

 _Bo kissed the side of her face, "Yeah, he's gone baby. Come on, let's get you back in bed…" she took her up to her bedroom, sitting in bed with her. "… Don't worry, no one's gonna hurt you" she felt Shay's grip on her hands tighten._

" _What if the bad man has mean friends? Will they come to take me away too?" Shay couldn't stop thinking about what that man said. He wanted her._

 _Pulling away, Bo looked at her. "Hey?_ _ **No one**_ _, is taking you away from me. I promise sweetie. As long as I'm around, no one will_ _ **ever**_ _steal you. Okay? I won't let them…" she hugged her again, "… I_ _ **promise**_ _you"_

 _She'd die trying to keep that promise._

 **Present**

"You broke your promise" Shay said. Her Mother swore that day that she wouldn't let anyone steal her, but that's exactly what Jack did. He even did it after she died. That was going the extra mile.

Bo bowed her head, sighing. "Shay, if I'd known he was gonna do that-"

"You would've what?" Shay asked. "Gotten there in time? We both know that wouldn't have happened. Especially since, I was dead! One thing I don't understand, why did you make me cover my ears that day? Jack had no problem killing people in front of me at that age" she remembered.

That was the most important thing Bo and Lauren tried to restore after they reset the future. "No, I don't imagine he did. Because he didn't care what kind of effect it had on you. But your Mom and I _did_. The one thing that came a close second to protecting _you_ , was protecting your _innocence_ " it was important.

"Why?" Shay asked.

"Because without it, you'd become- _this_!" Bo waved a hand around her. "Angry, temperamental, defiant; sound familiar?" Judging by the look she received, she was right. "You've had _four_ months—"

"You think that's enough?!" Shay yelled. "I _died_!" She took steps towards her. "I was sent to Limbo, and then thrown into Hell! I had your _bastard_ of a Father, fill my head with memories of a life I didn't want! Four months isn't even _close_ to enough!"

Bo held her hands up, she had her there. "You're right. It's not. I just want everything to go back to the way it was. Guess I'm fooling myself huh?" She laughed sadly.

Without warning, Shay latched onto her for a tight hug. "No, you're not. I love you Mom. But I need you to let me go, okay?"

Holding on, Bo breathed her in. "Yeah, okay. Just, promise me you'll come home. _Soon_ "

"I promise…" Shay whispered in her ear, then kissed her cheek before pulling away. "… Tell Ethan I'm sorry for the neck snapping. I know how much he hates it. I'll see you" she gave her one last smile before exiting the cage and running off.

Bo remembered Shay's future self saying those exact four words to her before she vanished in Tartarus after they killed Jack. That couldn't be a coincidence. "See you soon kid" she let out, just like she did that day.

Ethan watched his sister run off, "So that's it? We're just gonna let her go again?"

She dusted his shoulders off. "Yeah, we are. Come on, let's go home. There's nothing more we can do"

"What'd you mean? Mom, we have to go after her!" He tried to run backstage but his Mother pulled him back. "You're _really_ gonna let her go?"

Bo nodded, "I am…" she wasn't going to push this anymore. "… And so are you. This's something Shay has to do by herself. I trust she'll come back when she's ready" she was forcing herself to believe that.

Ethan wiped the dried blood from under his nose. "And what're _we_ gonna tell Mom when she gets home?"

That was another issue. " _You_ are not going to tell her anything. Okay? I will take care of that. I've had decades of practice when it comes to putting out that gorgeous fire. Leave it with me" Bo could handle her Wife.

Though sometimes she was terrifying.

"You need my blood" He pointed to the injuries in her face.

But Bo laughed shaking her head. "You think I can't handle a few cuts and bruises? Please. I'm fine. Besides, I have a feeling taking blood from you right now will just make you worse. Does it really hurt that bad?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Its worse! I wish you could know how it feels but that would mean you'd have to have your neck snapped. I guess you'll just have to wonder"

"Yeah, I guess so" Bo didn't want her neck snapped any time soon.

He continued to groan, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, if we're done here can we go home? I need an ice pack on this stat!" It didn't matter if he healed instantly, the ache took ages to leave him.

"Yeah sure, let's go" Bo helped him out of the building and back to their car.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's the surprise! One extra chapter for you guys. But the next one will be the last one. Not saying I'm ending this story, just that this one is ending. Leave me your thoughts.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: This's probably the longest last chapter of a story I've ever done. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: The Nightmare Before Christmas**

 **Dennis Household – Later**

Even though she had hours to go before Lauren got home from the hospital, Bo felt like her time was minuscule. She had two choices; tell Lauren the truth about what happened today, or lie through her teeth and swear Ethan to secrecy.

But she also knew, that if Lauren somehow found out about this; she'd hold a grudge with Bo for the rest of their eternity. And it wasn't worth that. So, as soon as she saw Lauren pull up in the driveway from their bedroom window, she waited for her to come upstairs.

The truth was actually the only avenue to take, as she still didn't want to take blood from Ethan to heal her wounds, since he was still in pain from his neck being snapped.

"You got this Dennis!" Bo kept telling herself. "She's gonna be totally okay with this—" she sighed. "Who am I kidding? She's gonna skin me alive!" She kept pacing back and forth, when she heard Lauren's voice approaching.

"Hey babe, I think I need to get my car serviced because it's making a funny noise every time I hit the breaks—" Lauren walked in to see Bo pacing. "Uh, is everything okay?" When Bo turned around she saw her face. "Oh my god, Bo! What happened?"

Bo smiled nervously. "I'm fine. This's nothing, I've had worse. I do need to talk to you though" She had to build up the courage.

Something told Lauren this wasn't going to end well. "Does this have something to do with Ethan's sore neck?" She saw him with an ice pack when she came in. "Bo? What's going on?" She was done dancing around this.

"Sit with me a second?" Bo took her hand and brought her to sit on the edge of the bed. "So uh, I know we agreed not to; but I asked Dyson to keep an ear to the ground about Shay. Just in case he ever heard anything about where she's hiding"

"And did he?" Lauren suddenly got hopeful.

Bo hated that she had to break her heart. "He did. And Ethan and I went to check it out. We found her…" she watched her Wife turn happy. "… But, she didn't wanna come home with us"

"Was she the one who messed up your face?" Lauren got a nod from her. "Mhmm, okay. So, why all of a sudden did she feel the need to hurt you? That's not the daughter I raised"

"She's in bad shape Lauren…" Bo wasn't going to sugar coat it. "… Jack really messed her up. Ethan and I both made her a deal. We both fight her, and if either of us won she'd have to come home. But, she beat us" she was sad to say.

Lauren sighed, "What're we gonna do Bo?" She got up and took a moment to breathe. "She can't stay out there in that state. It's only a matter of time before she hurts someone. We both remember the old Shay, she wasn't someone who could be reasoned with"

Bo remembered all to well, "I don't like it either Lauren, but maybe we just have to let her do this. She needs time, and we need to give it to her. Four months might be enough to us, but to her it's not even close. If it makes you feel better, she said she'd be back"

"Then we'll just have to wait. It's not like we're gonna grow old or anything. We've got time" Lauren leaned in for a hug.

That was true. They did have time. Lauren just hoped it wouldn't be years before she saw her daughter again. Bella going away to College was bad enough. But Shay was _actually_ gone.

It was torture.

 **6 Months Later**

It was the final week of Christmas.

And even though they'd been doing well these last six months. Lauren wasn't as happy as the rest of her family. She'd lost Bella to Princeton, which she swore she was getting better with. Maybe not so much. Her eldest son barely came home anymore now that he was working for Trick at the bar full time.

She didn't mind him doing it, after all he was a grown man and could make his own decisions. It just sucked that the house was emptying by the second. Patrick had also started College locally to play hockey. He wasn't in to academia, though he was smart. All her children were, it was an inherited trait.

Her only mercy, was Charlie. She wanted to become a Doctor like her Mother so she asked to work under her for a year or two so that she could learn everything she needed to know. So that when it came time to attend Medical School-Yale, because that was Lauren's price for teaching her; Charlie would breeze through classes.

It was clever.

Bo had been taking more cases lately, and had actually been working closely with the Police. So much so that Trick pulled some of his old Blood King connections and had some elder friends of his hire Bo to solve unusual Fae crimes and disappearances. The ones that Police couldn't solve.

It brought in a lot of dollars.

So, with everyone so busy; Lauren had been thinking there was someone missing. Shay. Her daughter hadn't been seen or heard from for six months. Not since Bo encountered her last. It wasn't right. And Lauren was sick of sitting back and doing nothing. Including the four months she was gone the first time, Shay had now had ten months to herself.

If that wasn't enough time then what was?

Going back to when she lived with Shay's other self; Lauren thought about everything they did, where they went, what Shay's interests were, every little detail she could possibly remember. Then she realised, she'd checked every old hangout from back then.

All but one.

The diner that they ate at the night Shay first came to Lauren's rescue after she was caught at the bus station by a future assailant. The only reason Lauren hadn't considered the place was because it was two towns away. Now she had, and she would bet good money she'd find her daughter there.

So, without telling her kids; she took the day off work and drove up in her car. As she pulled into the Diner's car park, she looked across the street to the bus station. It had changed a bit since she saw it last. It seemed so long ago, not decades but centuries if that was even possible.

It made her think about just how much things had changed.

Lauren got out of the car and closed the door, and as she did; she saw her daughter in the window. "Found you" she smirked to herself, no one was smarter than her. Her brain couldn't be beaten.

 **Inside The Diner**

Shay had been quietly enjoying her double bacon cheeseburger and fried when she sensed someone. "What part of ' _I need time'_ , don't you understand?" She waited for her Mother to join her in the booth.

"I'm gonna answer that in two parts…" Lauren took a seat, finally facing her. "… One, watch the tone! I'm your Mother, not some stranger. And two, it's been ten months. You've had more than enough time" unlike Bo, Lauren remained calm when talking.

Bo always let herself get sucked in.

"That's not for you to decide" Shay said.

Lauren smiled, shaking her head. "That's strike two for your tone…" she warned her. "… You don't wanna know what'll happen if you get a third. Let's just say I'm in no mood to play games" she really wasn't.

"What'd you want Mom?" Shay admitted defeat with sigh. She didn't want to fight anymore.

"I want you to come home Shay…" Lauren leaned forward on the table so no one else could hear their conversation. "… I get that Hell messed you up. I can't even begin to imagine what you must've felt. Especially with the added memories, but you can't keep doing this"

Shay played with the spoon that was in her coffee mug. "Easy for you to say. You don't have these memories tearing your brain apart. I've wanted to come home for months now, but the _other_ Shay; won't let me!" She was in a constant battle in her mind.

One Lauren didn't anticipate. "Why?"

"That part of me, _likes_ the solitude. She _likes_ being alone. At first, I agreed. It was freeing. But as the months went by, I started to miss everyone. Sasha, Ethan, you. But, it's like the other part of me didn't care about any of that" Shay couldn't explain it.

But Lauren sure as hell understood it. "I think I get it. The other you, didn't have this life. Her world was empty, and she was alone. That's why you feel like you enjoy the loneliness. Because the _other_ Shay, had no one in her life to miss" she really hoped that made sense.

"I may've found a way to get rid of the memories…" Shay had been searching for a way for months. "… But it's risky. I'm kind of on the fence about it"

"What is it?" Lauren asked.

"A Shaman who specialises in erasing unwanted memories. He said he could take away the ones I don't want. But you know Witchdoctors, nothing comes without a price. He wants the head of his ultimate enemy" Shay expected there to be a catch.

Lauren knew where this was going. "Okay, you're _so_ not doing that! We can find another way, without paying such a gruesome price" she didn't want her doing that.

But Shay was about to let her down. "It's too late…"she said. "… His head's in the trunk of my car. It was actually pretty easy. And kinda fun" she smiled to herself, getting lost in her own head.

And the way she looked as she thought about decapitating people, made Lauren worry just how much of the girl she raised was still in there. "Shay?" She snapped her fingers. "Can you even tell the difference between your old memories to your new ones?"

"Why's that important?" Shay asked with a chuckle. She didn't care so why did anyone else.

This was so infuriating, and Lauren couldn't make a scene without alerting every human in the Diner. "It's important because the old Shay didn't give a damn about embracing the part of her that was Human. Being a killer was all she knew. We made sure you'd never be like that"

"Didn't work out so well for you, did it?" Shay's face showed no emotion.

Which Lauren found odd, because five minutes ago she was talking to her daughter. The one she raised. But it was like she'd snapped, and become an entirely different person. "Shay, I'm gonna ask you something and I want you to be honest with me. Do you feel any _shred_ of your humanity, at all?"

Shay thought about it, digging deep. Then met her eyes, "Not really"

And that was the moment Lauren knew there was something really wrong here. Jack's revenge wasn't to torture her with memories, it was to torture herself and Bo, as they watched their daughter self-destruct and become the monster they promised her she'd never be.

He was good, she had to give him that.

"You're coming home with me, _tonight_ " she told her.

Shay shook her head, "I already told you, I can't!" She slammed her fist down on the table, getting everyone's attention. "And if you try to force me, it's not gonna end well for you"

Lauren raised her eyebrow in surprise, she wasn't expecting that. "Is that a threat?" Monster or no monster, Shay was never able to hurt her.

"It doesn't have to be, so long as you agree to my terms. I will come home, when I'm ready and not a minute before. I'm a big girl Mom, I can handle my own business. I don't need you" Shay felt a pang of disgust for herself when she said that. She shouldn't have uttered those words but the other side of her had no qualms about it.

"Really?" Lauren couldn't _not_ be hurt by that. Her own daughter just told her she wasn't needed anymore. "Okay. If you really believe that, then I'll leave you alone. I suppose it'd be pointless to tell you I love you, considering you don't feel anything?"

Shay just stared at her, not saying a word.

Lauren got up from the booth, "Goodbye Shay" she turned around and left the diner.

After another ten minutes, Shay finished her coffee and left the diner ready to get to her car. As she was opening her door, she sensed her Mother again. "I told you, to leave me the hell alone!" She turned around.

And as she did, Lauren drove a dagger through her heart. She didn't want to do it, but Shay was out of control and she had to be stopped. If this was the only way, then so be it. "And I told _you_ , watch the tone!" She opened the back seat door, and placed Shay inside.

She thought of using a sedative, but there was no amount in the world that would've kept her down for the long ride home. A dagger was the only option.

"You still think this's a good plan?"

Lauren turned around, seeing Bo approaching. They'd come up here together, but Bo stayed back while Lauren spoke to Shay alone. They thought it would be enough, but it wasn't. So they went to Plan B. "I don't know anymore. But I _do_ know, she can't stay like this"

Bo gave her a hug, she didn't think Lauren would go through with the daggering. But she did. "You did the right thing babe. Don't worry, we're gonna fix her. Go to your car, I'll drive hers back" she gave her a kiss and got the keys from her.

With the two of them ready to go, they set off for Home.

Ready to bring their daughter back.

 **The Dal – Holding Cells – Later**

One thing Bo and Lauren couldn't do, was tell the rest of the kids what they were up to. Ethan would want to be here and if he was then Shay would have no problem telling him the truth about their other life. It was doing enough damage to Shay, they couldn't hurt him too. So, they only told Trick.

Who gave them the keys to his old holding cell below the Dal. No one would hear them from down here. They both carried Shay inside and chained her to a chair before removing the dagger from her chest. It didn't take long for her to wake up.

Shay recovered from the pain of being dead, she could even feel the slice from the dagger close up on her heart. "I think this's classed as child abuse" she didn't expect her Mother to do that.

"You're not a child anymore Shay…" Bo stood in front of her with her arms folded. "… Though you sure do act like one. Look, we don't wanna do this. We're just trying to help you"

"You really wanna help me?" Shay leaned forward as best she could due to the chains. "Then let me go, before I break out of these and ring your neck!" She tried to reach her but the chains were tight.

Lauren couldn't believe she just said that. "You're not breaking out of anything Shay. These are reinforced steel, not to mention I had Bella bless them with her magic. You're not going anywhere" she told Bella it was for a criminal patient that was being transferred to a Fae prison. She didn't question it.

Shay laughed, sitting back. "I bet you guys think you have me beat, huh? You do remember how I kicked your ass in that fight six months ago, don't you?" She looked at Bo. "What makes you think you can't beat me now?"

"This has nothing to with beating you at anything Shay!" Lauren knelt down in front of her, looking into her eyes. "This's about undoing what Jack did to you in Hell. We want our daughter back"

"No, you want the new Shay. The one who abides by rules, cares for others, and takes people's feelings into account. Well, hate to break to you Moms, but that ain't me!"

As Lauren looked into her eyes, she saw the same look she saw two decades ago when Jack infected Shay with darkness. The day she and Ethan had that fight in the Dal. "So that's it? You don't care?" Shay shook her head. "And you feel nothing for us, or for anyone else you love?"

" _Literally_ nothing" Shay chuckled.

"What about pain?" Bo asked, stepping forward. "Do you still feel pain?" She had an idea, but Lauren wasn't going to like it. Shay replied that she did, but whatever it was she could handle it. "Everyone thinks they can handle it, until the moment comes when they're so broken; that they can't"

Shay smirked at her, "So, what? That's you're plan? Hurt me bad enough that I'll wanna readjust my behaviour? I don't see that working well for you. Seriously, that plan is kinda shit" she wasn't scared.

Lauren stood straight, not liking the look on Bo's face. "Bo? A word?" She made her to follow her out into the hallway. "What the hell are you playing at?!" She asked her, "Are you really thinking about hurting our daughter?"

Bo sighed, "What else are we supposed to do Lauren?" She didn't have a clue anymore. "We've tried talking to her, we've tried using emotion, but nothing works! Maybe this's the only way. She's given into her darkness just like before, you saw it and I saw it. Maybe the only way to save her, is to beat it out of her" it killed her to say it, but maybe it was the only option.

But Lauren couldn't do it, she hated daggering her to get her this far. "No, I won't allow it! There's gotta be another way" she had to believe that.

"Then you better hope you find one in the next hour…" Bo wasn't waiting around anymore, she wanted her daughter back. Jack wasn't going to win this one. "… Because if you don't, we're doing it my way"

With that, Lauren ran off upstairs. She had to go to Trick's Lair and find something to reverse the effects of a Unicorn's blood. There had to be something. She couldn't let Bo go through with her plan of torture. She just couldn't.

Bo walked back into the cell, where Shay sat with a smug smirk on her face.

"Trouble in paradise?" Shay had heard them arguing. "Hey, there's no shame in it. I mean, you guys _have_ been together for what-over two decades now, right? There's bound to be some cracks in the relationship" she figured if she pissed them off enough she'd find a way to escape.

"Well, joke's on you kiddo. Because there're _no_ cracks. Me and your Mom are tight" Bo was happy to report that. Even with a little tiff, she had an unbreakable bond with Lauren. They'd been through enough together.

Shay scoffed, "Tightly _wound_ , sure. I mean, who wouldn't be? Waking up next to the same face every day for the last twenty odd years. I'd be annoyed too—" she couldn't finish because her Mother was in her face, looking rather angry. "Hit a nerve, did I?"

Bo calmed herself, she told Lauren she'd give her the hour. "I get that you're going through something awful. And that it must be hell inside your head right now. But I will _not_ have you disrespectme, _or_ your Mom. Got it?" Her eyes were as serious as could be.

"Sure, whatever you say" Shay just smiled, going along with it.

Finally calming down, Bo backed away from her and stood by the door. She really hoped Lauren would find a way to fix her soon. Because Bo knew what Shay was doing, and she was good at it. She was pushing her buttons trying to get her to react, and Bo being the hot head she was; couldn't help herself. The old Shay used to pull this shit all the time.

Which was the reason she got her hand broken all those years ago.

 **Trick's Lair – Upstairs**

For the last five minutes, Lauren had enlisted Trick's help in finding some way to undo whatever the hell it was Jack's little mist had done to Shay. But to her dismay, Trick didn't know that much about Unicorns. He was older than most Fae she knew, but he'd still had yet to actually see one with his own eyes.

"Trick, come on! You've been alive for thousands of years…" Lauren paced back and forth in front of him. "… You have to know someone, who knows _something_ about Unicorn blood. I don't understand how a creature of such beauty and elegance could have blood that causes this" Unicorns were meant to be benevolent. They shouldn't be capable of this.

Trick had read so many books since learning that Bo and Lauren were bringing Shay home. He didn't agree with Bo's tactic after hearing it from Lauren, but maybe it was the only option left. "I've made several calls to many respected Warlocks and Shamans. Three sadly, have told me they can't help. And the other four have yet to return my calls" he was doing everything he could.

Lauren finally took a seat on the couch, taking a breath. "I don't want Bo to be right, but maybe this time she is. Maybe _this_ time, punching first and asking questions later is the only way to get through to her" if they did end up going down this road, she wouldn't be able to be in the room.

"It would help if we knew _exactly_ what Jack did to her…" Trick had been thinking about it. "… By itself, Unicorn blood only has the power to unlock memories of former lives. It can't unleash darkness within someone. Did you consider the possibility he did something else to her while she was down there?" He wondered himself.

Thinking about it, Lauren wouldn't put it passed Jack to pull something like this. "I have, but the only one who can answer that question is him. And we can't go back down there. It's too dangerous. Plus, Bella's away at College. She can't help, and I don't want her accessing anymore dark magic" Bella was happy at Princeton with her new friends, and Parker who had decided to join her there.

She wasn't ruining that.

"I wasn't suggesting we go there, but we might be able to visit; just for a few minutes. More than enough time to ask him what he did to her" Trick had been thinking about it, and it could be done.

Lauren finally felt a glimmer of hope, "What makes you think he'll even tell Bo?" She assumed her Wife would want to lead this mission. She always did.

"He won't, he hates her…" He knew that. "… But, he might tell _you_. You pose no threat to him being that you're more level headed than Bo. You use logic over violence, he may respect that. There's a way I can project you there. Your body will still be here so there's no risk of you being trapped there. But it's your choice" he wouldn't force her.

She knew if she was going to save Shay from Bo's Plan B, then she had to do this. If Jack didn't say anything then she'd just be brought back, no harm. "How much time would I get down there?" She asked.

"I can give you fifteen minutes, nothing more" he replied.

"And if I wanna come back before that?" She needed to know everything.

He went to his vault, and grabbed a special necklace. It was a brown worn rope, with a green crystal hanging from it. "Just clasp this, and think of home. You'll be sent right back here. I've done this ritual a dozen times, there's no risk. I promise" he wasn't lying.

She had no choice, so she agreed to Trick's terms. He told her to lay down on the couch, as he drew a symbol on her forehead and placed the crystal around her neck. He told her that Jack or other enemies wouldn't be able to hurt her while she was down there, she would be like a ghost to them and they wouldn't be able to touch her physically. "I'm ready"

Trick was just about to send her off, but then remembered something. "What if Bo comes up here while you're under? What should I tell her?" He didn't want to face her wrath.

"Tell her, _now_ we're even…" Lauren was still mad at Bo for going down to Hell without telling her, and Bo knew that. So, this would make them even. "… She'll know what you mean"

"Well, that's good. Because I don't. Okay, close your eyes…" he guided her through it. "… Just breathe deeply, and let go of everything" he began chanting a few words as he saw the Crystal around her neck begin to shine green.

Lauren felt herself slip away, until she felt nothing.

 **Hell**

Opening her eyes, Lauren found herself in a well lit room. Actually, it looked more like a cave. But, a little nicer. Only, it was known that someone evil lived here. The décor was proof enough. She hated that her Daughter was stuck here. She could hear the screams in the distance, she didn't even want to know what was happening to them.

"Well, well, well!"

She turned around, and saw Jack standing before her.

"If it isn't my lovely, daughter-in-law. You know, I couldn't think of a better person for my daughter to marry. I'm glad you're a part of my family Lauren, Bo really traded up from that dog she used to date" he actually meant that. Shifters were lower than low to him.

"You stopped being Family a long time ago…" Lauren saw his guards around her. "… I wouldn't bother trying to capture me. My presence here is temporary. Do you really think I'd be so stupid as to come here knowing you'd want to throw me in a dungeon?"

Jack smiled, "No, I don't. Because you're smart. Just like me. And I'm guessing you don't have a lot of time here, so I'll cut to the chase; what can I do for you?"

Lauren approached him, "You did something to Shay when she was here. I'm not just talking about the Unicorn blood. She's different-darker. And we all know how much you love the darkness. So, what did you do to her?"

He chuckled, "I'd imagine you thought she'd get over the ordeal when she came home. That if she was surrounded by family, and the people she loves, that she'd be cured in time. But sadly, that won't happen. If anything, it'll make her worse"

"I won't ask you again! _What_ did you do?!" She was getting impatient.

"I _fixed_ her!" He yelled. "The Shay I knew was so much more fun. She loved the pain she inflicted upon others. It's lonely down here, and I wanted someone to share my kingdom with. I missed my daughter" it was pretty simple to him.

Lauren hated him. "She's not your daughter, she's _mine_!"

He shrugged, these were pathetic technicalities. "Daughter, Granddaughter, it's basically the same thing. You know what? I'm gonna tell you what you wanna know. Not because I owe it to you, but because I'm gonna relish in the fact that there's nothing you can do to help her" he started laughing.

"What'd you mean?" She didn't like this.

"The Unicorn blood has nothing to do with Shay's behaviour. Granted, it hasn't helped things. Living two lives at once isn't easy, I speak from experience. But it can be managed. Though, that's hard to do; since she has something evil festering inside her" his smile was wide.

Lauren looked him in the eye, "What did you do Jack?"

"Let's just say, if I was ever to retire from my throne; Shay would make a _fine_ replacement…" he went to grab her neck, but his hand went through her body. "… Transparency. Very clever. Oh, how much I'd love to slit your throat again. I wish you could remember"

She couldn't believe how evil he was. He really did take the cake. "I do remember…" she watched the frown on his face. "… Shay let me into her mind twenty years ago. She showed me everything. Tell me something, how can a man do that to his own family? That's what I am, right? Family?" She was just repeating his words.

"Indeed you are…" he replied. "… But, you had something I wanted. You had Shay. And though I had Ethan, he wasn't living up to his potential. He had more Human than Fae in him. Probably still does"

Lauren looked down when she saw the crystal around her neck begin to flash. "Shit!"

"Oh, looks like you're running out of time. Frankly, I don't know why you're still here. I told you what you wanted to know" Jack was tired of this now.

"No, you told me you'd love for Shay to replace you as the ruler of Hell. You didn't give me specifics about what you did to her. You've got three minutes, go!" She wanted an answer.

Jack wanted her gone, so he was going to tell her. "I planted a seed of darkness inside of her. With her added memories, it was an easy guess of which path she'd take. You can't remove this thing. It's wrapped around her soul like a snake, and it's going to keep tightening, and tightening, until all that's left is _pure_ evil"

"You're disgusting" Lauren wasn't sure what else to say. That pretty much covered it.

"I get that a lot" he gave her a wink.

Suddenly, Lauren felt herself feeling lighter. The crystal was shining green, her time was up. "I hate you" she vanished before him.

Jack smiled, "I get that a lot too" he was glad to see the back of her. Of all of them, actually.

 **Trick's Lair**

Lauren woke up with a gasp, and saw Bo sitting beside her. And she didn't look happy. "I just astral projected to Hell and back, so I'm _really_ not in the mood for a lover's spat" she took the necklace off and gave it back to Trick as she sat up.

"That's your explanation?" Bo asked, "Lauren, you should've told me you were going down there! He's a viper! You can't trust a single word he says. Whatever information you got from him was probably a lie!" She knew him.

"Actually, for once it wasn't…" Lauren said. "… He had fun telling me what he did to Shay. And honestly, I don't know how we're gonna fix her. If there even _is_ a way" she honestly didn't know.

Trick sat on the chair next to her. "What did he tell you?"

She told them all about how Jack infected Shay with a seed of darkness, and that it would only get worse the longer she's effected. And that basically there was nothing they could do to fix her.

"There goes my plan to use pain to get it out of her…" Bo fell back onto the couch letting out a defeated breath. "… Looks like he really won this time" she hated to be the one to say it, but things didn't look good.

Trick shook his head, "No…" he wasn't letting that bastard win. "… This isn't how it ends for Shay, or for our Family. He doesn't get to win. If we can't make her overcome this affliction then maybe there's a way we can expel it from body all together" he had to have hope.

Even if it was minimal.

"Good luck trying to find it, because I honestly don't think there's one…" Lauren got up from the couch. "… Mind if I help myself to your liquor?" She needed it.

He nodded.

Bo watched her walk up stairs. Something was wrong. As if she was different somehow. Jack must've said something to her. "Keep looking Trick. You're right, he doesn't get to win" she tapped his shoulder before running off after her Wife.

 **Bar – Upstairs**

With the circumstances of Shay's capture, Bo and Lauren asked Trick if he wouldn't mind closing up for the day. Just so they could work here without distractions. So, Lauren had no trouble going behind the bar and pouring herself big glass of Meade.

"You think this's the answer?" Bo stood on the opposite side of the bar, folding her arms. She didn't like seeing Lauren like this. "Babe, talk to me" she approached the bar, tapping on it.

After drinking the first glass, Lauren poured another. "What's there to talk about Bo? We made a promise to her, and we couldn't keep it. I don't know about you, but I feel pretty crappy right now. I'm a terrible Mother" she knocked back another.

Bo wasn't going to let her say that. "Hey? No, you're not!" She tapped the bar again. "You don't have a bad bone in your body. You're not capable of being a bad Mom. This's Jack. This's what he does, he drives people apart. But we're not gonna let him do it to us"

"He already has!" Lauren exclaimed. "Open your eyes Bo! He's infected our daughter with evil, so we can watch her destroy herself. How do we even beat something like that?"

"I dunno, but we'll find a way!" Bo jumped over the bar, standing before her. "We always do!" She took the bottle of Meade away from her and the glass. "He said something to you, didn't he?" She knew him, and she knew Lauren. Something was wrong. "Babe, tell me. Please" she grabbed both her hands.

Lauren hadn't really processed it properly. Having the person who killed her in another life, wish he could do it again. It wasn't something someone should have to go through. "He expressed his desire to silt my throat again. I still see that image sometimes"

And Bo knew all about that. Over the years Lauren had nightmares of that memory. "It never happened, we made sure of that" she placed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"But it did happen, in here…" Lauren tapped her left temple. "… It's something I'll never forget. So, to have him _wish_ that he could have a do over; just, brought it all back"

Bo gave her a kiss, hugging her tight. "He will never get his hands on you. _Ever_!" She promised her. "I know this's hard for you. And it seems like there's no hope, but we _have_ to find a way. We're in this together, okay?"

"Okay…" Lauren wrapped both arms around Bo's neck and kissed her like she'd never kissed her before. In all of this, Bo had been her rock. Just like she was to her. "… I love you"

"I love _you_ " Bo replied, hugging her again.

They were interrupted with the clearing of someone's throat. Ethan stood at the door, watching his Parents. "Uh, I sense worry. You guys wanna tell me what's got you so shaken up?" He didn't like what he felt right now.

Bo knew they couldn't tell him anything. "Nothing really, we're just worried about Shay. You know, Christmas will be here sooner than we know it and we still have no idea where she is. It's a little frustrating" she smiled sheepishly, covering her lies.

She felt bad, they both did. But at the sight of what those memories were doing to Shay, they couldn't do it to him too.

"Yeah, I get it. I'm sure she'll come home soon. Until then, you've still got me" Ethan reached and arm over the bar and tapped Lauren's arm with a smile.

Lauren loved his compassion. "Thanks sweetie. What're you doing here? You know Grandpa's closed for the day" it was risky for him to be here.

"I know, I just wanted to grab my cell phone…" he bent over the bar, looking under the table to find his cell phone on the top shelf. "… I left it here last night. It was so busy here, I forgot it. Anyway, I'm gonna spend the day with Kayla. Hope that's cool" he stood straight.

Bo nodded, "More than cool. Have a good time!" it was good he was leaving. With that, he gave them a wave as he ran out of the bar. "That was a close one"

"Yeah, he'd be so pissed at us if he knew what we're doing" Lauren hated to lie to him, but it was for his own good.

"It doesn't matter, we're doing this for Shay's own good and for his too. Maybe one day when this's all over, he'll understand that" Bo could only hope.

Suddenly, Trick emerged from the back room. "It might be over sooner than you think!" He waved them over, as they followed him back down to the lair.

 **Downstairs**

Bo and Lauren didn't know why Trick was so excited, but clearly he'd found something worthy of their attention. "Trick, I'm sure you'd like to drop some old school Fae knowledge on us. But why don't you skip to the part that actually benefits us?" She didn't have time.

Trick picked up his book, "How do you feel about an exorcism?" He asked them.

"An exorcism?" Lauren repeated his words with a frown. "So, are you telling us our daughter's possessed by a demon now?" Jack didn't tell her that. He just said a seed of evil.

"Nothing of the sort. But, the seed of evil that Jack mentioned _is_ a kind of possession. It's something that's taking a hold of her, and it's only going to get worse if something isn't done. I believe, that with the right course of action; we may be able to _pull_ the evil out of Shay" he said.

Bo didn't really understand, though she didn't understand a lot. "It sounds difficult"

He gave a nod, "It won't be easy. But, isn't it worth a try? We've exhausted every other possibility. There is, however; one problem" he hated to say this.

"What?" Lauren asked.

"Only a magic user of the victim's bloodline, can perform the spell needed to exorcise the evil. Which means, we need Bella for this to work. I would never force you to bring her here, it's your choice" he was just giving them their options.

Lauren looked at Bo, both of them not knowing what to do. Bella was finally happy at Princeton. She had her boyfriend, she had new friends, and she had a life. They didn't want to ruin that. "And if we decide against it? Is there any other way?"

Trick scratched his beard with a shrug. "I don't think so. It think this's our best bet. Jack knew it would be hard, that's why he did this. He probably thinks we'll give up"

"That's the last thing we're gonna do…" Bo glanced at Lauren again, who gave her a nod. "… I'll call Bella. But, only _she_ gets to know. We can't tell the others. It'll just make things worse" she walked off with her phone in hand.

Lauren sat next to Trick on the couch, "How sure are you that this'll work?" She wanted a percentage.

"Really, it all depends of Bella. And if what happened with Ronan was any indication, she's more than capable of pulling it off. It'll work Lauren" he tapped her hand with a smile.

She sure hoped he was right.

 **Holding Cells – Later**

Shay had been sitting down here, chained up, with no food or water for a good couple of hours. But she suddenly heard footsteps approaching her cell door. "Thank god! You know, the service in this place is terrible with a capital T! Don't expect me to give a good Yelp review!"

Opening the door, Bo stepped inside with Lauren, Trick, and Bella. Who was still trying to process what her Mother wanted her to do. She portaled in from Parker's Apartment off campus so no one would see what she was up to. The last thing they needed to worry about was exposure. "Hey sis" she'd seen Shay in better states.

Laughing, Shay bowed her head. "Oh this ought to be good. They bring in the baby of the group. To what? _Magic_ me into feeling something? I really expected better. Is the offer for using pain still on the table? Cause' I think I'd prefer it" she was amused.

"Cut it out Shay!" Bo yelled. "Bella's here to help you. We're _all_ here to help you. What's going on with you, isn't because of the memories. Jack planted evil inside you when you were in Hell. All we gotta do, is get it out. Then you'll be back to the old you. You can come home"

Shay thought about it, and did sound like something Jack would do. It was convenient though. "Prove it"

Bella stepped forward, standing behind Shay's chair and placed both hands on her sister's head. She closed her eyes, trying to search for the evil Jack placed inside. It took her a while, but she found it. "It's true. He branded your soul with something awful. It won't stop until it's taken you over, like a leech"

"Maybe it's just looking for a friend" Shay kept laughing.

"Seriously, that's your answer?" Bo couldn't believe her. Evil or not, Shay had to be a smart ass. Sometimes, Bo saw a bit of Aife in her. It didn't bother her, because she knew her daughter was nothing like her. But it was just a hint of her. "Does any part of you care?"

Shay shook her head, "That'd be a no!"

Lauren couldn't take this anymore. "Bella? What're you gonna need for this?" She was choosing to ignore her remarks.

"Purifying salt to form a circle, some candles, and a knife-" Bella took the book from her Grandfather. "Ooh, we might have a problem. It says I'm gonna need the ashes of a Succubus from our bloodline. I don't suppose you have any laying around?" She looked to the grown ups.

Bo had no idea where Aife was, the last time she saw her was back at Taft's. "I haven't seen my Mom in over twenty years. But knowing her, she's very much alive. Trick? What about you? Is there a McCorrigan cemetery plot I'm unaware of?"

Trick had trouble with this. "Unfortunately, no. But, I am the guardian of Ysabeau's ashes. I keep them in my vault. Though, it's considered disrespectful to open a Fae's urn once it's been sealed" that was his Wife.

"We understand that Trick. Completely. But, wouldn't Ysabeau want to help a member of her Family? I've read stories about her, and she seemed like a true hero" Lauren knew all about Fae heroines. Ysabeau was famous.

Shay made a face, "Urghh! This's nauseating! When're you guys gonna grow some bal—" suddenly, her neck snapped to the right.

Bella had to take credit, "Sorry, but she just wouldn't shut up. Plus, she was being mean. Not cool!" Her sister was immortal, she could take it.

"You are _so_ my daughter!" Bo couldn't be more proud.

Lauren looked at Trick again, "Trick? Will you please do this for us? For your granddaughter?" They had no other choice.

And he knew that. "I'll get the urn, you gather the other items" he walked off without another word.

With that, Lauren went to get the items Bella needed while she stayed with Bo waiting for Shay to wake up. It wouldn't be long before she did. "Mom? Can I ask you a question?" Bella looked at Bo, who nodded. "Why isn't Ethan here? I would've thought he'd wanna be around for this" it was strange.

Bo sighing, "You're right, he would. But, he can't this time. I can't explain exactly _why_. But, just trust me on this okay? It's better for him if he's away from this. We didn't want to bring you into it either but, this spell might be the only way to save her" she glanced at Shay who was still dead.

"I get it, family first…" Bella always understood. And she was happy to help. "… Also, I'm kinda glad to be home. Even if it's for a day. Don't get me wrong, I _love_ school! My classes are great, and so are my friends. It's just nice to be with family sometimes" she missed this.

Maybe not the evil part.

"We miss you too baby" Bo brought her in for a hug. Bella would always be her baby, nothing would ever change that.

Just then, Shay began to groan as she returned to life. "Ugh, when I get outta this I'm gonna make you wish you never found me!" She raised her head, revealing her bright blue eyes. "Snapping my neck, really? Well, I never thought you had it in you Bell. Good for you…" she was actually proud of her. "… I'll kill you last. You're welcome" she gave her a wink.

"Don't listen to her…" Bo told Bella. "… That's not her talking. It's that thing inside her. We're gonna bring her back"

Shay clicked her neck from right to left, "I love your optimism Mom. It's pathetic, but at least you have hope. Mine died a _long_ time ago. That's what happens when you come from a family so twisted. Isn't that right, _daughter of Hades_?" She chuckled. "You think you're happy now Bell, but wait until your life gets turned upside down because of _her_ past mistakes. We're not her children, we're her _casualties_!"

Bella frowned, "Mom, what's she talking about?"

"She doesn't know what she's talking about; that thing inside her's making her crazy. I told you, don't listen to her. Go upstairs and help you Mom with the stuff for the spell. Go on!" Bo gave her a soft nudge, watching her leave the cell. "Ruining your own life isn't enough, you've gotta ruin hers too?" She hated the smirk of Shay's face.

"Just giving her a warning, what's wrong with that? That's what big sister's do, isn't it?" Shay didn't get an answer from her. "Or are you upset because it was the truth?"

Bo turned to her, "You mean _your_ truth"

Shay laughed, shaking her head. "Oh my god, you really can't take responsibility for your own actions can you? It's like you live in your own little world, and you can do no wrong!" She was getting sick of it.

And Bo was getting sick of her too. "That's where you've got it twisted kiddo. Because I know who I am. I know what I've done! I've done a lot of crappy things in my life!"

"Letting your Father destroy us being one of them. No wait, forgive me. He did that _twice_! When're you gonna face the truth Mom? Think about it. All the things that have happened in your life. I think we can both agree that your hands are far from clean. You destroy _everything_ you touch" Shay said.

"What'd you want from me Shay? You want me to say I'm sorry, because I am. I'm _really_ sorry!" Bo was close to getting down on her knees and apologising.

Shay stared at her with a glare. "I don't want anything from you. Actually, that's not true. I want to be let go, can you do that for me?" She pulled on the chains again, but they didn't budge.

Bo wasn't giving her that. "Sorry kid. I guess that's just one more thing I'm gonna have to let you down on. Because you're not leaving this room until that _thing_ is out of you" she felt blame now more than ever about what her kids had gone through.

"More disappointment, guess I shouldn't expect anything less" Shay stopped talking, just as everyone else was coming back.

Lauren noticed the look on Bo's face, "Everything okay here?" She didn't like what she was sensing.

"Fine. Did you get the stuff for the spell?" Bo deflected the question. It wasn't health for them to revisit it.

Nodding, Lauren handed her the bag of candles. "Pretty much. Can you place those in a circle around her?" She waited for Bo to go ahead with the task. "What's next Bella?" She looked at her daughter.

"Once the candles are lit, I'll use the salt to make a circle and then use Grandma's ashes to draw a special symbol on Shay's forehead. I'll also need to draw one on us too, for protection" Bella read through the book just in case she missed anything.

"Protection from what?" Trick asked, holding Ysabeau's golden urn in his hands.

"Well, when I pull the darkness out of her; it's gonna want to find a home in someone else. Someone of our bloodline. It's a good thing the others are at home, the entity can only survive without a host for about thirty seconds. After that it'll evaporate" Bella went to pour the salt around Shay's chair once her Mother had lit the candles.

Bo didn't know what to say. "We don't give you enough praise baby girl. You've definitely proven yourself to be a formidable opponent. I'm proud of you. You're living up to the Dennis name" she gave her a wink.

"Yeah Bell, just make sure you destroy the lives of your kids and you're golden!" Shay gave her input. "Right Mom?"

"I'm not even gonna ask…" Bella didn't want to hear it. Because she knew her sister wasn't in her right mind. So, she took her Grandmother's urn from her Grandfather and carefully took some and placed it in a small bowl. "… Here comes the painful part" she sliced her hand open and let her blood mix with the ashes.

She waited for her hand to heal, then used her index finger to mix it around more before drawing a rune that symbolised protection on her own forehead, as well as her Parents and her Grandfather. But the rune she marked on Shay's head was a sign of purification.

Since she was trying to expel the evil from her.

"I'm so gonna laugh my ass off when this thing blows up in your face" Shay chuckled, this thing on her forehead itched.

Lauren decided to step in, "Shay?" She knelt down in front of her. "I want you to understand why we're doing this. It's because we love you, and we don't want see you hurting anymore"

"Whatever you need to tell yourself lady" Shay gave her the bitchiest smile.

"Do it" Bo gave Bella the okay. She couldn't watch this anymore and more importantly she didn't want Lauren watching it either.

Bella began chanting, she'd studied that spell page to page, front and back. She had every faith in herself that she could pull this off. She just hoped she was right.

A few minutes in, and Shay began to feel the inside of her body ache. Her blood felt like acid, and her skin began to burn. She didn't think they'd be able to pull it off. "Stop it!" She gritted her teeth, feeling so much pain. "I said stop it!" She clutched the arms of the chair.

"That's not gonna happen" Bo told her.

Shay started to scream, she felt as though someone was ripping her apart but she was awake for it all. "Mom! Please, it hurts!" She cried, bowing her head and kicking the legs of her chair. The chains rattled as she tried to break free.

Lauren was about to help her, but Bo pulled her back. And she was right to. To stop it now, would be giving the evil what it wanted.

Bella could see it was working, because her sister began to show signs of the entity revealing itself. Shay had black thread veins spreading from her chest up to her neck.

Just a little longer.

Wanting to escape, Shay summoned all the strength she had left and tried her hardest to break through the chains. They were strong, but she was thinking her desire to break free was stronger. Her eyes burned blue, " _Never underestimate a Hybrid_!" She pulled her arms up, and the chains broke.

But Bella was one step ahead of her, she kept her still with her left hand while she continued to expel the darkness. Though, it was proving to be difficult. "If you've got a spare set of chains, now would be the time to get them!"

Trick ran as fast as he could, and when he came back he handed Bo and Lauren a rather large set of chains. "They're used to detain UnderFae Ogres. They're huge!" He'd seen them. Not a pretty sight.

Bo wrapped one around Shay's chair, sitting her back down. While Lauren secured the padlock. "Will that hold?" She asked.

"Not for long, which's why I've gotta finish this. I'm kinda running low on juice!" Bella felt her nose running with blood. "Any volunteers?" She held out her free hand.

"How about both of us?" Lauren glanced at Bo, who was more than willing. Trick couldn't because of his former excursion. They didn't need him dying. She grabbed Bella's hand while Bo grabbed hers.

With a few more incantations, the four of them watched as the evil entity left Shay through her mouth. A black mist shot out of her, floating in the air. Shay's head fell, she was out.

Bella fell into the arms of her Parent's, utterly exhausted from that spell. She'd never pulled off something that big. When the thirty seconds passed, the black mist above them vanished. It was gone.

"I got her, check Shay" Bo carried Bella over her shoulder, taking her to the Lair to rest.

Lauren took the chains off of her, lifting Shay's head up. "Shay?" She whispered to her, moving hair out of her sweaty face. "Sweetie? Can you hear me?" She wasn't waking up. "Shay? Come on! Wake up!" She gently shook her.

"I've realised something" Shay finally mumbled.

This could either be good or bad, so Lauren just listened. "And what's that?"

Lifting her head, Shay focused her tired eyes on her Mother. "That I'm one _sorry_ Hybrid…" she smiled, she remembered everything she did. And more importantly, everything she said. Especially to Bo. She really was the lowest of the low. "… I'm so sorry Mom"

"Forget it!" Lauren grabbed her in a hug, standing her up. She didn't want to let go of her. "No one cares. You get a pass on this one. We're just glad you're back" she kissed her head.

"I didn't mean anything I said!" Shay wanted to take it all back. It was the evil talking, it wasn't her. "Will Mom forgive me?"

Lauren didn't know what she was talking about, but clearly before she and Bella got back Shay and Bo must've had a chat. Which was the reason for the look on Bo's face. "Of course she will" she hugged her again.

"I feel so dizzy…" Shay mumbled into her Mother's neck. "… Everything's spinning" Those were her last words before she passed out in Lauren's arms.

"Shay?" She tried to wake her but it was no use. "Shit! Bo!" She called for her Wife. It took her a few minutes but she finally came. "Little help?" She took one arm while Bo took the other and carried Shay to one of Trick's bedrooms. "Is there something you need to tell me?" She asked Bo.

Bo looked at her, confused. "Not that I know of…" she wasn't sure what this was. "… Why? Am I missing something?"

Lauren closed the door to the bedroom, "Shay said she was sorry for everything she said to me, and most importantly to _you_. She's worried you won't forgive her. Was what she said to you that bad?" She wanted to know.

Exhaling, Bo sat on the side of the bed. "It wasn't bad. But it _was_ true…" she'd been thinking about it. "… She said I let her down in both of her lives. I let Jack hurt her twice. And I destroy everything I touch" she let a tear escape her.

Whoa, Lauren wasn't expecting to hear that. Shay really did do a number on her. But it wasn't really Shay. "You don't actually think that's true, do you?" She watched Bo cry. "Babe, no!" She sat beside her, holding her face. " _Jack_ is the destroyer, _not_ you! You don't have an evil bone in your body!"

"How can you really believe that?" Bo frowned at her. "My Father is the King of Hell. There must be _something_ in me, something that's just as evil as he is"

"No!" Lauren shook her head. "There isn't! And you know what? Your other four kids will tell you the exact same thing! What Shay said wasn't true. It wasn't even really her, it was your Father's evil. Don't you see? He wanted this to happen. He wanted to break you, and using your own daughter to do it was his plan. _Don't_ let him win"

Bo took a breath, holding the rest of her tears back. Lauren was right, she couldn't let him win. This was what he wanted. For all they knew he could've been controlling what Shay said through that evil. "I won't, I promise" she welcomed a hug from her.

That itself was curative.

 **Dennis Household – Later**

After everything that happened, Bo called a family meeting. Meaning everyone had to attend. Even if they didn't want to. Including Patrick who would rather have been at the ice rink with his teammates. That was just tough. Bo even called Sasha, since she had every right to be here for this.

Bo and Lauren waited for them their kids to gather in the living room. But Sasha was a little late. That was okay. "I know everyone has plans, so I'm gonna cut this meeting short. You're all probably wondering why Bella's back from School—"

"Can't make it three months without her Mommies?" Patrick snickered, he just had to get it in.

But Ethan smacked the back of his head, "Grow up!" He was sick of his stupid jokes. "Act your age, and keep your mouth shut" he gave his littlest sister a wink. He was happy to have her home regardless.

"Couldn't have said it better myself…" Lauren was proud of Ethan for doing that. "… But no, that's not the reason. Bella came back to help us with something"

"What?" Charlie asked.

Shay walked down the stairs, with the smallest smile. She didn't know what she had to be happy about. "Me…" she told them. "… Bella came to help with me. I got pretty lost, she helped me find my way back" she gave her littlest sister the tightest hug. She was beyond grateful to her.

"Wait?" Ethan had a question. "Is this what you've been up to all day?" He looked at his Parents. "And why you were acting so weird at the bar?" They nodded. "I knew it wasn't just worry. Why didn't you tell me?" He was hurt.

Instead of putting her Parents through any more grief, Shay decided to take the blame. "I asked them not to!" She pulled back from Bella and stood before her big brother. "It's not their fault. Trust me, I wasn't good company earlier"

"So, you're back?" Ethan asked her. "For good this time?" He had to make sure.

Shay nodded, "Yeah, for good. Don't I get a bro hug?" She opened her arms, hoping he'd oblige.

"I'll do you one better!" He picked her up and spun her around with a laugh. He'd always done this with her since they were kids. "Just, don't go away again. No one annoys me like you do"

"You're gonna regret saying that in a month or two…" Shay laughed, letting go of him. "… What about you guys?" She looked at Charlie and Patrick. "Don't tell me you're too cool to give your big sis a hug? Bring it in bitches!" She waved them over.

Lauren groaned at her use of language, "Why the need for language? I raised her better—" she got shushed by Bo, who wrapped an arm around her waist.

Bo loved Lauren's nagging, but it could be silenced now. "She got _exorcised_ a few hours ago. Just give her this one. Babe come on! Look at them!" She pointed to her children who were in a huddle. "As far as kids go, we got five great ones. Even if they do make us wanna pull our hair out sometimes" she wouldn't change this.

Her Father thought he'd won with his plan, but it had only brought them closer together.

"No arguments there. So, do you think the rest of this Christmas will go off without a hitch?" Lauren asked her.

"Providing we can keep my Father in Hell where he belongs, yeah. I think I can pretty much guarantee that" Bo kissed her cheek.

"I'm holding you to that" Lauren grabbed Bo's hand, and took her over to their children. This was a happy family moment. And it would last, so long as they protected their family from the evil of Hades.

And they would.

Forever.

* * *

 **A/N: Well; that was a long one. For me anyway. Hope you guys all enjoyed. And as you can see I haven't ended it completely, just in case I want to bring it back. Anyway, let me know what you think. Thanks for reading.**


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